Just Like You
by XxBlackChaosxX
Summary: InoDei fic. Ino, a severly depressed ANBU member, finds her life completely uphauled when she meets Deidara and Sasori of the Akatsuki, who take her with them. DeiIno, InoDei. Complete 10/8/08
1. Day 1

**Just Like You**

**Chapter 1**

It had been five years since Sasuke-kun had returned. Sakura had surpassed her long ago - snagged Sasuke all for herself. Al the people around her were falling in love an settling down. Shikamaru had married Temari, Choji had found someone of his own, Naruto had found Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke, Tenten and Neji - everyone. All but her. She hadn't found the one guy she though she could share everything with yet. And worse - she was still a virgin at twenty. How was the possible? Simple: she had become an ANBU at fifteen, and engrossed herself into her work, leaving no room for any man. Yes, Sakura had as well, but she had Sasuke to keep her afloat in the real world. Ino had no one. Her parents were constantly fighting, her father in drunken rages, always beating her mother. There was hardly any reason to live. Ino, although it didn't seem like it on the outside, had fallen into a deep state of depression. Soon, her voice and features were dragged through hell, and eventually she stopped caring if everyone knew how she felt. If they did, they never helped anyway. With no one to turn to, she had tried to make a friend out of Sakura again. It had worked, but with Sasuke always around, Ino felt as though she was being watched and couldn't share something personal with the pink haired kunoichi.

_I need a phyciatrist, _Ino thought to herself as she jumped through the trees with her ANBU teammates. But what wouldn't work, either - she couldn't go to daily, or at least normal, visits because she was constantly gone on missions. Other then Sakura, who was still distant, Ino had no one out there.

But what she wanted most, what kept her up at night more then anything else, was the longing for a male figure like her. One that at least knew what it was like to have no one to turn to. One whose hair she could run her fingers through, one who didn't think her flower arrangements were mediocre - someone who enjoyed art and nature. A guy who wouldn't be afraid to tell her everything he thought - someone who was raw, real. Just like she used to be.

Sighing, Ino realized she would never be able to find a man like that in Konoha - she would have to look elsewhere. "Our mission today leads us closer to the Akatsuki base!" One of her teammates, Misha, told her. She was on his left, and her other male teammate, Yuri, was on his right. Misha's mask resembled the cat, Yuri's the dog, and Ino's the fox. All three of them had been able to choose the mask they wanted, and so Ino chose the fox. Why? Because it was a solitary animal, smart, sly, witty. Because it was able to get out of any situation alive. Ino.

Yuri, always the hyperactive one, shouted out, "We'll be at the leader's throat in no time!" His rugged, unkept, black hair flowed behind him. His hair had always disgusted Ino, but she never made any complaints. There were worse people out there, she supposed.

"Don't underestimate the enemy." Ino answered in her as-of-late voice - a stoic voice that never showed any emotion, expression, or care. From what she had heard about him, Ino had adopted the voice of Uchiha Itachi.

"Ino's right, Yuri. We're not the strongest group out there, you know. But anyway, once we get through this barrier, we'll be right in the fray! And then we'll finally be able to wipe them out for good!" Misha had better-kept hair, but he died it silver for some reason. Or was that his natural color? She wasn't sure. Either way, neither of them were very attractive, and even if they were, she would never consider going out with them. They were pathetic.

Ino sighed, looked down a bit. Her teammates were always so happy...It seemed she was the only uncaring one in the world. The way she had been left alone in the world...What more could one expect?

Shortly, they ran into their barrier. Hiding in the trees, Ino could see the two Akatsuki members were teammates. She couldn't see much of them - most of their features were covered by both the Akatsuki cloak and the coned hait they were wearing. But what she _could _see of them, was that one had blonde hair and the other seemed to be a monster. She guessed it was a puppet, or shell, of some sort. The two of them stopped, and the blonde one looked up to Yuri and Misha's shared hiding place and said to them, "You can stop pretending now. I can sense your Chakra, un." _Bakas! _She thought to them, _Don't either of you have the common sense to surpress your Chakra? At least hide somewhere different from one another! Damn bakas, you deserve what you get. _But when Yuri and Misha jumped down from their hiding place and tried to make themselves look better - whilst looking worse - Ino knew there was no hope. She sweatdropped as she watched the looks on the two Akatsuki members go from 'ready for a fight' to 'this is pathetic.'

Letting her head drop onto the branch she was sitting on with a semi-loud _thud, _Ino sighed. _We're done for. How did those two get into the ANBU anyway? They're pathetic excueses for chuunin, let alone ANBU. _Ino watched as Yuri battled the blonde and Misha the monster thing. She waited until both her pathetic teammates were defeated - which wasn't much of a wait - before she revealed her presence to the Akatsuki. She knew, from seeing a bit of their skills, that she wouldn't be able to take on one, let alone both. She would be dead before the minute was over.

Sighing, Ino revealed herself as she jumped in front of the two Akatsuki. "Don't make this too difficult for me, alright? My teammates - they had interest in you. I do not." She sounded very manly - she guessed the Akatsuki thought she was one. Her ANBU outfit was loose on her, and so padded that there was no curviture to her at all. Her voice had changed through depression as well - Sakura had hardly been able to believe it when she first spoke to her again.

The blonde smirked. "And who are you? Judging by the teammates we killed, you're nothing to worry about, un." He revealed his face a little, and she knew it was a boy. Pretty blue eyes, long blonde hair...Ino shook her head, broke herself out of that. _You can fantasize later, when you've managed to get away alive. _

"I may not be," Ino answered his jeer, "But now that I've seen a bit of your faces and your techniques, I can get better people after you next time." _Like Uchiha Sasuke, _Ino recalled, remembering that he was ANBU as well. _As well as Uzumaki Naruto..._Those three had been their own team in ANBU. _Curse you, Sakura. I've hardly ever been able to speak to Sasuke-kun. _Although she felt nothing for the Uchiha anymore, she still despised the fact that, although she had liked him all those years, she had never been able to get close to him. Sakura had stolen him away from her in a heartbeat.

The blonde seemed disturbed by this. "And just who _are _you, un?" He shook his head, erasing the thought. "Either way, you're no threat to either of us, nor the Akatsuki. ANBU standards must have dropped, un." Ino just stood there, waiting. She didn't want to fight - didn't feel she had the strength at all. Jeers no longer bothered her - she was an empty shell, feeling nothing, living because she was forced to. Even pain didn't break through the barrier. She doubted there was anything left that would.

The monster spoke. "I don't like all this waiting." And then, from behind, came another tall figure, this one a little taller then the blonde. The figure wrapped one arm around her neck, and used the other to hold a kunai to her throat. "Move, ANBU, even a fraction, and all I have to di is break the surface of your skin - all my weapons are dipped in poison." She gasped. It was the same voice that had come from the monster thing.

"So it _was _a puppet," she whispered aloud.

"You're smarter then your teammates, aren't you?" With that, the arm bearing the kunai was pulled back, and the last thing she felt was something wooden making contact with the back of her head.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she was hurting everywhere. The back of her head was what was hurting most, and she was laying exactly on the spot where she felt a swell. Moaning at the pain an inability to move, Ino's eyes rolled to the top of her head, and she fell into unconsciousness again.

* * *

The second time she awoke, she could hear the two Akatsuki mumuring to each other under their breath. "What do we do with her, un?" Blondie asked.

"I don't know," the one that knocked her out admitted.

"Perhaps we should turn her over to Leader and see what he wants to do with her, un?"

"It may offend him, bringing such a whelp back."

Blondie must've nodded, because he continued on, "Either way, we can't let her escape, un. It'll only cause more trouble for all of us - no matter how weak she is."

"She's in no state to move," the puppeteer told the blondie. "Let alone try and outrun us. I think, if she doesn't die, she'll be with us for a while."

She could hardly process any thoughts, but Ino was able to move her hand up to her face and realize they'd taken her mask off. She tried to move, but everything was so stiff and cramped that she couldn't. She managed to move her head a fraction, however, and found that good enough. She was able to get a better look at the two Akatsuki.

"Do you think she'll die, Sasori-danna?" Blondie asked him. Sasori was the redhead, the one who had hid in the shell and had knocked her out. Ino tried to hold onto this information, but her concept of memory was not with her. When she tried to think back to exactly what had happened, she was overcome with a wave of dizziness and confusion. There was nothing...No memory, no though, no feeling but pain. Had she fallen into an even deeper state of depression through this?

The puppeteer - _Oh, what was his name again? - _shook his head and answered, "She's suffering from a great state of depression - you can see it all over her face. Fatigue, too - as though she only eats and drinks when she's starving or quenched."

"She _has _been sitting there for three days. You think she's woken up yet, un?" Ino attempted to move, make a sound, _anything _to tell them that she had woken from her unconscious slumber. She managed to move her head, but move it too fast, which resulted in a horrible wave of nausea that threatened to take her. She moaned as loud as she could, forced her arms to move up to her head. She couldn't think anything but: _ow. _

"So, she's up." The redhead said as he looked over to her. The two of them moved over to her, the blonde in her plain of vision, and the redhead behind her.

The blonde, who she could now fully see, had sat down in pretxel position, gently taking her in his arms. She reached an arm up and grabbed at the man's chest area, gasping at the pain and nausea. He seemed to be unaffected and asked her, "What's your name?"

_Ino, _she thought. She could feel her mouth moving, but words refused to come. She repeated it, this time shouting in her mind, _Ino! Ino! Ino! Ino! Ino! Ino!_ But that was all she could do - think her name. Anything else brought out the nausea.

"Here, Deidara, give her this." The puppeteer handed blondie a cup.

"Drink this," Blondie said gently as he held the cup to her mouth. She drank it quickly and loudly, not caring if she spilled some on herself. She was so thirsty, and there was virtually nothing in the cup. When it emptied, blondie - _Deidara, damnit! - _took the cup from her and repeated his question.

"I-ino," she finally managed. Her voice was raspy, and _she _could hardly hear it. "Ino," she repeated, her voice a little louder this time. She thought he hadn't heard, and so began to repeat herself again. "I-i'm - "

"Ssh," _Deidara _said softly as he held her mouth with his finger. "Ino, you said?" Ino managed the smallest of nods. "That's a lovely name, un. I'm Deidara. That guy over there," Deidara motioned to the puppeteer, "that's Sasori-danna. How're you feeling, un?" She tried to move a little, but failed horrible. With a loud grunt, she allowed herself to fall limp onto Deidara's chest. Deidara looked up and over to Sasori, who had moved to in front of them where she could see him, and back to Ino, beginning, "I'm going to get you washed up. Do you have any objections to that?" Even if she had the nerve to voice her objections, she couldn't. She could feel her voice slowly return, but shook her head instead. _Best let them have it their way, _she thought, _Survival first, accomodations later. _Deidara nodded and gently lifted her.

Deidara left Sasori with a nod, brought Ino to another room that resembled a bath. He gently set her in a chair that was beside the tub. She wasn't very observative in her current state, and so everything else in the room was ignore. Carefully watching her, Deidara removed his cloak and cast it to the side. He was very cute in the black outfit underneath, and Ino felt her face get hot. "Don't feel conservative now, alright? I'm doing nothing but washing you. And don't scream at anything you see, un."

_Anything I see? _Ino repeated through her thoughts, _He's mutated in some way..._She blushed an even deeper shade of red - something she hadn't done in years - when he stood her up, using his hands to both hold her up and strip her to her unders. He then set her against the chair, and turned to the tub, letting the water run through his fingers. "How's this, un?" He flicked the water at her.

"Too cold," she managed. Her voice was still raspy and her throat ached. It seemed worse whenever she took a breath.

"You like it hot, like I do, un." Deidara observed as he lessened the cool and greatened the heat. He tested the water, then flicked it at her. "How's that?"

"P-perfect." She managed, much to the complaint of her throat.

Deidara nodded, made bubbles with some bubble soap. The bubbles rose about two feet above the higher level. Deidara stopped the water, stoof, and turned his back to her. "You've got a minute to take your garments off and get in the water before I turn back around, un."

Ino quickly took her bra and panties off and entered the wonderfully warm water. She sighed in relaxation as the water loosened her cramped limbs. She told Deidara he could leave, that she had everything covered. But, instead, he looked back to her, nodded, and sat at the chair she had been in. She studied him for a moment, but when he motioned to her, she moved away and grabbed a bar of soap. She wished he would leave, but apparently he was in no obligation to do so. Innerly sighing, she ran the blue bar of soap over her skin, then gently began splashing the water over the suds. It left her feeling sleepier then before, to the point where she could've fallen asleep right there.

She kept herself awake by untying her hair, quickly running a brush through it. When satisfied, she dunked herself under the water completely. She was half tempted to stay under, to drown herself right there and then. _Don't be so pathetic, _she absconded herslef, _Prove to the Akatsuki you're worth considering. Even if you aren't. _She stayed under a little longer, indecision keeping her ignorant to the screams and pleas of her lungs. Had it not been for Deidara firmly grabbing her arms and pulling her up, she probably would've forgotten to come up again.

Ino broke the surface, gripping the side of the tub by Deidara, leaning over it a bit. He let her go, beginning, "No suicide attempts, okay?" She looked up to him whilst coughing the last bit of water out of her lungs, nodded. "I'll wash your hair, un." She nodded weakly, and Deidara squeezed shampoo out of bottle, lathered it into her hair. His hands were so gentle...She hardly noticed the presence of two, heavy, cloth-like things feeling around. there was one on each hand, and it seemed they moved of their own accord.

"What are those?" Ino asked in a dreamy, faraway voice.

"Mouths." Deidara answered simply as he put one hand down by her face. The mouth on his hand let its tongue stick out, like a dog's. For some reason, she was only moderately surprised. Deidara took back his hand, continued to wash her hair. After a moment, he held onto her arms, instructed her to dunk her head under. She complied, briefly running her hands through her hair. Deidara pulled her up before she was satisfied. He gently ran some water over and through her hair, making sure all the shampoo was out for her.

Deidara stood, wiping his hands off, and picked up a black towel from the rack. He spread it out wide, told Ino to stand. Blushing, she obliged, only to find he had used the towel to block her from his sight. He alloed her to step into his arms, where he sort of hugged her whilst simultaneously tying the edges of the towel together so they'd stay on her. "Get dressed with the glothes I gave you, un." Deidara instructed her, turning around again. Ino quickly put her unders on, then the clothes he'd supplied for her, noticing how the black pants gave her legs a firmer tone, how it gave her rear a rounder shape. She put on the top next, smiling as she realized how bigger her breasts looked, and how thinner her waist seemed. It was almost with relunctance that she put the Akatsuki cloak over her outfit. She gave Deidara the okay, and he turned back around and brushed her hair for her. She saw stars when he brushed over the swell and grunted, shooting her hands to her head. He calmed her, finishing by tying her hair back for her. Deidara put his cloak back on, walked her out of the bathroom.

"Finally out?" Sasori gruffed as the two of them emerged. Ino tried to fight fown the exhaustion and nausea, but the standing and walking wasn't helping. She swayed, but Deidara held her up, tightly holding her against his own body. "You've developed a soft spot for the girl alread?" Sasori jeered, "You're pathetic."

"I don't have a soft spot for her," Deidara answered, "I'm just trying to be nice, un."

"Whatever. Feed her - she's dying." _Aren't we all? _She thought glumly as she walked along with Deidara.

Deidara walked slowly with her, allowing her to go at her own pace. He navigated through some doors, down some halls. Ino vaguely wondered if he was purposely going around in circles to confuse her - disuaded her in case she tried to run. _Where exactly are we? _She asked herself.

Eventually, he led her to a simple room furnished with a refrigerator on the left and a circular table reflecting it on the right. There was a small stove to the refrigerator's left, and a countertop and sink beside that, cupboards hovering above. Deidara sat Ino at the southern end of the table, and went over to the refrigerator, asking, "What do you want, Ino-san? I can cook, if you like, un."

"No, thank you - that won't be nessecary. If you're going to eat, I'll have whatever you're taking." She spoke in the most polite tone she had, but even that had been weighted by depression - she sounded like a bored, careless man.

Deidara nodded, collected some fruit for the both of them. He tossed her one and sat down in front of her, taking a bite out of a peach and asked, "Ino-san, what's wrong with you? I know you're sick and all, but you act and sound so..."

"Depressed?" Ino finished for him. He nodded. "I fell into depression a long time ago. Five years, maybe. But I've had bad luck all my life - my Father was an alcoholic, always coming home drunk, beating and raping my mother. I was subject to the beatings as well, so I stayed away from home as much as possible.

"When I became ANBU, I basically found a way to hide myself from everyone else. I was always off on missions - I had no time for friends. And when I _did _come home, I was greeted by nothing more then a raging father and a weeping mother. Father would beat me, and I would srawl upstairs and take a shower. That was the only time I could cry. I lived life mechanically, and only for myself. I ate and drank only when it was absolutely nessecary, and soon developed a UTI and anemia. With no one to turn to, and my body slowly dying, depression quickly claimed me."

Ino looked up, expecting criticizim. But Deidara gave none. "My family was killed because I wouldn't join the Akatsuki. I was blamed for it, and shunned. I had no choice but to join, un." Ino studied him. _I didn't expect Deidara to have been forced into the Akatsuki, _she thought to herself as the bit into the peach she had been given.

"Do you miss them?" Deidara's simple existance mesmerized her.

"I live to keep their rememberance alive," he answered, and Ino wanted to cry. "I live only to remember them - that's my way of avenging their deaths, un." Ino lost it. She tried to rub the tears away in a vain attempt to keep Deidara from seeing. He looked up and saw.

"I wish I had a reason to live," she explained herself. "The Akatsuki are going to kill me, aren't they?"

"I won't let that happen, un."

"I'm a pathetic fighter. I'm nothing to them but a deadweight."

"Don't say that," he was trying to be comforting, but it only made her feel worse.

"You don't understand the weight," she told him as she rubbed her eyes. "It's like having concrete on your shoulders, and you can't move it. I can't even kill myself! There's nothing for me after death, so I live. It's as though you're nothing but a shell - you feel nothing. Not even pain. I hate feeling so fucking pathetic!" She jumped to her feet, throwing the peach down. She forced the tears back, so that they silently fell.

Just as she was about to hit the wall, Deidara grabbed onto the agressive hand and held it close to him. He pulled her close as well, wraped his arms around her. "You're not pathetic," he whispered, and she cried herself to sleep in his arms.

* * *

**A/n**

**I like how this is starting out. The other Akatsuki are coming, and there's more drama and romance for sure! Let me know how you feel in wonderful reviews! **


	2. Day 4

**Chapter 2**

Ino awoke the next morning, feeling worse then before. She sat up, rubbing her left eye. Ino sniffled, feeling the old tears lingering on her eyes. She felt warm, comforted on the outside, but on the inside she felt cold, desperate, alone. Upon looking around, Ino noticed a tray of food set up beside her bed. There was peach, water, and relatively warm eggs. At the sight of food, Ino suddenly realized how hungry she was. She gratefully took the food, eating the eggs first. They were still warm...

"How's my cooking, un?"

Ino, for the first time in years, smiled. She nodded and said, "Better than mine!" She thankfully shoved a large piece of egg into her mouth, remembering not to chew the chopsticks. Deidara sat on the bed opposite hers - one she hadn't noticed until that very moment - and studied her. "Arigatio, Deidara-san. Itadakimasu." It was as though she had pulled herself out of depression overnight. She was happy, glad to be alive. She almost question what had happened, but decided not to.

"You seem happy, un." Deidara noted.

"I know! Happiest I've been in years." She wolfed down the rest of her breakfast, quickly finishing off her water.

"Have you and Sasori agreed on what to do with me?" She asked him, taking a bite of the peach.

Deidara shook his head. "We're going to wait for a few days - see what happens, un. Until then, we stay here."

"What do you do? In the Akatsuki, I mean. As a member." Ino was surprised to find herself to curious. But the blonde was so _gorgeous..._She wanted to know everything about him, right down to the very last detail. It had been years since she was so interested in something; it almost felt good to want to know, to want a bond.

"Sasori-danna and I consider ourselves artists, un. But Danna never agrees with me." He looked away a little, deep in thought.

"I like your hair," Ino commented, a broad smile across her face as she took another bite of the peach. Kami...was she flirting? Ino's smile grew even wider when the blonde looked over, his cheeks a little pinker. She took another bite of the peach, allowing its juices to flow down the sides of her mouth. She chewed slowly, then carefully cleaned off her mouth, using her tongue.

Deidara cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable. Was she trying to be seductive? If she was, it was working. "Art," he began, trying to change the subject, "is something that happens quickly. There one minute, gone the next, un. Sasori-danna believes art last forever. We can never agree, un."

"Hmm..." Ino considered as she took a bite of the peach, "I think art is more...flexible. It comes back to you year after year, although it's gone for a while before it comes back. Perennial, I suppose. What do you do for art?"

"Sculpting, un. You?"

"Flower arrangements." She braced herself for criticisim she knew would come.

But it never came. Deidara looked into her eyes thoughtfully, considering. "That's interesting, un. Flower arrangements...Do you incorporate them into your jutsus, un?"

"You don't have to be so - Wait, what?" Deidara's pure interest in her 'art' had completely taken her off guard.

"Do you use flowers in your jutsus, un?" Deidara patiently repeated.

"Oh. No, I use mind-control." She took another bite of the peach, trying to shove away the odd feelings welling up inside her. "What does Sasori do?"

"Puppets, un. My scupltures are explosive."

"How's that work?"

Deidara offered his hand, palm up. She took it and studied it as he spoke, "I feed these mouths some clay, incorporating my Chakra. I sculpt it into some sort of creature - usually birds or bugs - and, when the time's right, I add another dosage of Chakra to the creation, causing an explosion, un."

Ino attempted to grasp the information as she ran her finger around the mouth gently, coaxing it open. She smiled, then, and dipped her finger inside. Deidara jumped a little, pulling back a little. "Was I not supposed to do that?" She asked, looking up to him.

"Just surprised me, un. People usually run when they see these."

"Why?" Ino asked, genuinely curious. "They're adorable." She looked back to Deidara, who was silent, looking at her. A thought struck her then, causing her to relinquish his hand. "Deidara," she began, "do the Akatsuki even know about me?"

Deidara took his hand back and was silent for a long while. An uncomfortable air was flying around him, and she knew what the answer would be. "No. Sasori-danna and I haven't contacted them, un."

"Why not?" If anything, she was a little offended that they thought she was a burden, one that would only get them into trouble - one that wasn't worth mentioning. She looked back to him and continued, "It's because you think I'm worthless, right? It's because you think mentioning me will get you yelled at. I heard you yesterday." She looked away shamefully. "Not like you're wrong..."

"Minamadeiuna," Deidara commended, causing her to look up. He stood and sat beside her on her bed. "You're not worthless, un. I don't think so." He draped an arm over her shoulders, and she leaned into him. She experienced an odd sort of electricity when she got close to him like this, and wondered if he felt the same thing. What was that feeling, anyway? She couldn't be sure, but she _thought _she'd felt this once before with Sasuke. But it had been so long ago, and all emotions had been smothered by depression. By now, she had completely forgot what this was called, along with how 'light' she felt when experiencing it. It was as though it was her first time feeling this.

And, technically, it was. She'd never felt something of this magnitude before...

"C'mon," Deidara urged her gently.

As they stood, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular, un. Just thought you should get to know the place, since we use it as a base, un." Ino nodded, and Deidara led her around the base, giving her some orders whilst keeping her entertained. He joked a little, and she'd laugh not to be polite, but because she honestly thought it was funny.

She didn't think she was still capable of doing that.

When the 'tour' was finished, he took her back to the kitchen and treated her to some rice cakes. She thanked him with a large smile and took a bite. Deidara, with a plate of his own, dug in as well.

She couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed someone else's company.

A stabbing pain went through Ino's abdomen, right where her left kidney should've been. She bolted upright, pinning her left hand over the painful area. "Itai!" She shouted, clenching her eyes shut and wincing at the pain.

Deidara was at her side in an instant, a bottle of water in his hand. "Here, drink." Ino took the bottle almost before Deidara had choked out his order. She guzzled down half the water before remembering she had to breathe. Gasping a little, she set the bottle on the table and clenched the bridge of her nose. "What _was _that?" She asked him, trembeling.

"A sign of UTI - Urinary Track Infection, un. You don't drink enough water, so your system's getting clogged. It'll go away eventually, provided you drink enough water, un."

"How much is enough?" She didn't bother questioning the sudden medical knowledge Deidara had obtained.

"Eight of those a day, un."

"I need to see a doctor," she groaned, feeling incredibly weak.

Deidara returned to his seat, taking another bite of his rice cake. Ino did the same, if only to forget the pain. "We'll take you to a doctor's office after you've met the Akatsuki. Until then, all we can do is give you proper nutrients, un."

"What do nutrients have to do with my urinary track?"

"Sasori-danna believes you're anemic as well, un. From not eating properly. You're in serious depression, too, un. You're dying both mentally and physically, un. If you hadn't met us, you'd probably be dead in another few days."

Ino fell silent, letting this new information sink in. If she had continued on with her pathetic days - which had gotten to this malnourished state about six months ago, she realized - she'd be dead before the week was out. Realization hit, and Ino looked into Deidara's visible eye, feeling her own widen. "Sasori...Sasori was gonna throw me out, kill me on the spot, wasn't he?" Deidara nodded. "But...You stopped him. You convinced him to take me in." Another nod. "You saved my life." This was a statement of pure fact, she knew.

"Sasori-danna said you were my responsibility - he refused to take any sort of care for you, besides analyzing your health. Once the Akatsuki get here, I'll get the okay to bring you to a doctor's to get proper medication. We shouldn't have to wait too much longer, un."

Ino chuckled a little. Deidara was making it seem like she was hit pet - a stray, at that - and he had convinced his brother to tell him what was wrong with it, decided to keep it, but still had to gather consent from the rest of his family. She voiced this, and Deidara frowned. "I don't think of you as my pet, un." He told her.

She was about to reply, but Sasori walked into the room then. "Deidara, Hatafuri and Konan are here. I suggest you find a place for her to stay whilst you work up to asking about her." Deidara nodded and pulled her to her feet, taking another hall that exited the kitchen.

"You can stay in my and Sasori-danna's room - the one you were in before. I'll come get you. Just leave the door closed, and try not to make any noise, un. None of the Akatsuki will enter a closed door, un. Remember? You'll be safe there - just stay quiet." He ushered her into his room.

"Deid - "

"Onegai!" He gut her off. He clammed the door in her face and shouted, "I'll come back for you, un! Just please do as I say!" Before she could squeeze in a side notw, he was already gone.

Exhasperated, Ino collapsed onto Deidara's bed and buried her head into the pillow. It smelled sort of sweet, but with a masculine twinge...She cooed gently when she realized this smell to be Deidara's and snuggled in deeper, comforted by the fact that this was his bed.

_Kami, _she thought suddenly, opening her eyes, _do I have some sort of feeling for this man? _She couldn't remember the last time a man's existence had made her so happy, so willing to live. Deidara had saved her life, given her a reason to live.

Suddenly, she knew the answer to her question: _Yes. I am definitely feeling affection to that blonde angel. _She sighed into his pillow. She was happier now, upon seeing this epiphany, then she ever was before. A gush of warm rushed over her then, and she was certain she'd never felt anything like it.

Hours had passed without her realizing it, and it had only seemed like a few seconds before Deidara returned for her. "Ino?" He asked softly, sticking his head inside.

"Time to go?" She mused, looking over her shoulder a little.

"Hai."

Ino nodded and rolled off the bed and onto her feet. She ran her hands along the top of her head, making sure her hair hadn't come undone. "How do I look?" She asked him. "Be honest."

"Beautiful, un." Deidara was perfectly honest as she'd instucted, but she blushed al the same, wishing he had said something - anything - else. "Come, you'll be great, un." He walked her out.

"What is it I'm supposed to do?" She asked him, already feeling her heartbeat increase.

"Don't freak out, un, and try to be as collected as possible - no angry outbursts, un. Do anything they ask, un. I'll defend you, and Sasori-danna might, too - I won't let them hurt you, un." The light and conversations from the room they were about to enter came to them then, and Deidara whispered, "Big smiles, un." And put one on his own face. Ino tried to do the same, but had forgotten how.

They walked into the room then, and were greeted by seven foreigners. Ino studied them closely, knowing she'd have to be able to remember them. The first she noticed had silvery hair, purple eyes, and a Jashin necklace over a too-exposed chest. On said chest were numerous scars and...hickeys? Either this Akatsuki, which swore in every sentence, enjoyed women on top, or was uke to a male partner. _When people want something bad enough, _she supposed, _they'll take the best thing they can get. _

The next member she set her eyes on was almost perfectly covered. All she could see of him was evergreen eyes and a slashed Taki headband.

Member number three was a blue hue, with blue hair and pinpricks for eyes. The monst interesting thing about him, though, was that he had gills on either side of his face. Slung over his back was a broad, tall sword wrapped up. The slashed headband upon his forehead revealed that he was from Kiri.

She recognized Uchiha Itachi instantly - those Sharingan eyes were matched only by those of Uchiha Sasuke. Itachi's, however, had a deadlier allure about them...And they had given Itachi a sxier look, too. The Eldest Uchiha had deep eye sockets, long raven hair, and tan skin. He was definitely better-looking then Sasuke.

But neither of them could match Deidara.

There was a female member. She had blue hair and eyes, the former decorated with a white rose - white as virgin snow. Ino had to admit; she was pretty.

The eighth member's face was shrouded in darkness, and he stood at the other foot of a very long table Deidara had neglected to show her before. She assumed this man was the leader.

The ninth and final member she spotted tempted her ability to stay quiet and calm. He was a mixture of plant and human, with his face 'split' down the middle - the left side white and the right black. A sort of venus flytrap-like plant sprouted from his shoulders, covering his face a little. Ino was half tempted to turn and run.

If she was in her right mind, she probably would've done so - or at least attempted it - the instant she'd awoken in this place.

"Another fucking blonde?!" The Jashinist demanded. Ino flinched at the loudness of his voice - she could feel a headache coming on already. "Why couldn't you pick up a fucking brunette?!"

Deidara rolled his eyes, but their leader interrupted them before a fight broke out. "What provoked you to bring her here?"

"She openly admitted that, although we'd killed her teammates, she didn't care, un. We couldn't just let her go, so we took her, un."

"Why did you decide to keep her after that?"

"She woke up only yesterday, un, after being out for three days. She's sick, un."

"How so?"

"I can answer that," Sasori interjected, standing where he sat, "Based on a medical analysis of her current physical state, she's mentally depressed to the point of suicide, anemia, and suffers from a UTI - Urinary Track Infection. She would've been dead before the end of the week, had we not met her."

"Enlighten us, Sasori - what is anemia, UTI? And how does one go about getting it?"

They're not contagious, if that's what you're asking. Anemia is a lack of nutriants - iron, particularly - in one's diet. UTI stands for Urinary Track Infection; a patient suffers from it when they've gone dehydrated for too long - when there's not enough water in the system to keep it running properly."

"Based on this, do you believe Ino would be a hindrance to us?"

Sasori shook his head. "No. With proper medication, all three problems can be fixed in under a year."

The leader nodded, and Sasori took his seat. "Ino," the leader turned to her, "what is your full name?"

Ino cleared her throat and tried to answer in a feminine voice, "Yamanaka Ino." Her heart racing, she looked at the silhouette of the leader.

"Your skills?"

Ino felt her heart sink - all she had was mind control. "Mind control," she answered softly, looking to her feet in shame.

The leader nodded. "What do the rest of you think?"

"She's a girl, right?" the Jashinist asked, "So there's one fucking thing she'll be good at!"

"Oh, actually...erm, I've never..." Ino began, unsure of what to say. How could she tell everyone here she was a virgin?

"Don't tell me you've never fucked anyone before?!" Hidan shouted, causing Ino to go a deep shade of red. "Aw, shit! I hate virgins."

"Deidara will be in charge of keeping her healthy and watched over. Once she can handle herself, Kisame teaches her to swim. Then onto Sasori with medics, Deidara with art, Itachi with battle, Hidan with religion, and Kakusu with finance. Each session will be as long as you believe nessecary, and, once you've all agreed she's learned as much as possible, she'll fight one of use to prove her strength. If she matches up to our standards, we'll make her an official member. If not, we let her go, provided she keeps quiet."

"Who would I tell? There's no one waiting for me in Konoha..." Her mind slowly began to drift off to that black abyss of nothingness, where she was perfectly alone with herself. A numb feeling washed through her thoughts, and she felt herself slowly going under again...

"Minamadeiuna," Deidara commanded, taking her arm. She snapped out of it and looked up to him, thankful for the frim grip of his eyes locked on hers.

"Deidara, bring her to a doctor tomorrow." The leader said, "This meeting's adjourned."

As the members stood and began to leave, the Jashinist approached and said to Deidara, "Don't forget to break her in," he smiled and threw his hand down on Deidara's shoulder before walking away.

Ino was about to shout a reply when Deidara took her hand and, muttering something, dragged her to the room she'd woken up in. He closed the door behind them and locked it shut. "What'd he mean by that?" She demanded, angry that he wouldn't let her reply.

"Nothing," he answered instantly, "absolutely nothing, un. Go to bed - we've got a long day ahead, un." He lay down on the bed opposite hers, facing the wall.

'"Deidara!" She shouted objectively. When he didn't reply, she growled, deep in her throat, and threw herself onto the free bed she knew used to be Deidara's.

About a half an hour of silence passed, during which Ino smelled Deidara's scent on his pillow. Slowly, the temperature of the room began to drop. Unable to sleep, she turned her head to see Deidara's back and whispered, "Deidara, are you awake?"

"Un." He'd never fallen asleep, based on the clarity of his voice.

"This is your bed." It wasn't a question.

"A bed's a bed, un."

"That was Sasori's. Where's he sleep now?"

"His workshop. He's got a spare bed there, un."

"Why there?"

"He doesn't want anything to do with you, un."

"Deidara, are you...Do you...Are you mad at me?"

Deidara rolled over to face her. "Why would I be mad at you, un?"

"I don't know - for getting in the way, I guess. For getting between you and Sasori."

"I'm not mad, and I won't ever be, un."

The temperature continued to drop, and Ino felt her muscles beginning to convulse. A shiver ripped through her, and she hissed air in through her teeth. "W-why aren't there any blankets?" She managed.

"Kakuzu says we don't have enough funds for blankets or heat, un."

"A-aren't you cold?"

"I got used to it a while ago, un."

She could see her breath now. "C-c-can y-you start t-t-teaching me n-now?" Deidara opened his arms, and she ran over, plopping onto the bed and burying her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled in closer. She regained control of her lips and asked, "Can I call you Dei?"

"Call me what you will, un."

When she was certain she was warm enough, she gently pushed Deidara onto his back and sat on his pelvis. He gave her a questioning look, but she didn't evaluate. She unsnapped the first four buttons on his cloak and laid her head down where his heart should've been. It was there, beating a little eratically, as if aware of her presence. "You have a heartbeat," she told him. She looked into his eyes and continued, "and pretty eyes. And you're very warm." She nodded, as if confirming what she'd said to be ture. "You're human." She laid back down on his chest, holding her hand close to her mouth, her fist balled. "The others may not be, but you mose definitely are."

He nodded. "You're human too." He noticed her balled fist and asked, "Are you sucking your thumb, un?" She flicked her fist upward so that he could see her thumb was neatly tucked under her other four fingers. She laid her fist down again, closing her eyes.

"Dei, why do they hate me?"

"They don't hate you, un." Deidara laid his left hand on her head and wrapped his right arm along the small of her back. "You're the newbie. They always pick on the newbie, un. Once they get to know you, it won't be so bad, un."

"I have you," she breathed, "right?"

"Un." He answered firmly, and she let herself fall asleep in his arms for the second time.

* * *

**A/n**

_**Translations first: **_

_**Kami: Japanese god**_

_**Onegai: Please**_

_**Hatafuri: Leader**_

**_Itai: It hurts_**

**_Hai: Yes, here (In the situation it was used, Yes) _**

**_Minamadeiuna: Stop what you're saying/don't continue _**

**Okay, now that that's over with, here's my notes: **

**Thank you to all reviewers! I love you all! You're my inspiration :) Also, I **_**could **_**write these chapters longer, but I wanna break them up by timeskips, or by day or week or whatever. So, since this chapter is "Day 4," the next chapter would be "Day 5." I'm keeping it this way just to keep away confusion. Thank you for all your support, everyone! The next chapter will come soon! **


	3. Day 5

**Chapter 3**

When she awoke the next morning, Deidara was already awake, watching her. She smiled. "Ohiyo." She yawned and laid her head down again.

"We should get going soon, un. We won't have time to do everything I'd planned otherwise, un."

She looked up to him again. "What were you planning?"

He smiled. "Just a lovely visit to the doctor's, un. Why would I plan anything else?"

She smiled, too. Sitting upright onto his pelvis, she said to him, "You're the first person to make me smile genuinely for as long as I can remember."

Deidara sat up along with her, placing his hands behind himself for support. "We have to get you fed and washed before we go, un. Can't go out looking like bums, can we, un?"

Ino nodded and crawled off him and the bed. "No Akatsuki clothes?"

"No cloak, at least. And I'll have to keep my headband here, un. Do you still require my supervision while bathing, un?"

Ino pretended to consider his offer. "Hmm...No, I can handle myself." She held her smile.

"Good. Make it quick - I'll get everything together and we'll go, un. No suicide attempts, right?"

"Nah," she put her hands behind her head, stretching. "I don't feel up to killing myself today. Maybe tomorrow, if I have the time."

Deidara studied her for a minute, then laughed. "Who knew depressed people were funny, un?" He stood, pulled his cloak off and untied his head band and hair.

For the first time since Kami knew when, she stared at Deidara's body, almost hungrilly, as if she were starving and he was edible.

She realized, then, that she had _never _looked at a man like this before. She'd always registered faces and voices - she never bothered to look at what else the package had to offer. Deidara's angelic existence stood right there, and she felt her mouth water. An immense urge to kiss him, plunge her lips onto his, shocked her, and she began to doubt if she was really depressed at all.

"Dei," she managed, daring her lips to betray her, "I think you're gonna have to help me take that bath."

* * *

After he helped her bathe, Deidara had forced Ino to eat a large breakfast and drink at least a gallon of water. "Have to keep your system as high as possible, un." he'd told her, and she was half tempted to strangle that cheery smile off his face. Simultaneously, she was mentally thinking of the different things Deidara had planned. There were so many different possibilities, and most of the ones Ino had conjured were incredibly boring. With a sigh, Ino ate the last of her food and drank the last of her water. 

"_There,_" she said dejectedly as she threw the cup down on the table, "done. Happy now?"

Deidara, who was sitting across from her at the circular table, smiled and nodded. "Gotta have as much energy as possible for today, un." He stood, collected her dishes, and washed them.

Ino followed him to the sink and asked, "What's happening today?"

Again, like every other time she tried to get an answer out of him, he smiled and said, "A doctor's visit." He flicked water at her, then, set the dishes upside-down on the countertop to dry.

Quickly becoming a little more then irate, Ino folded her arms and pouted, "You're so mean, Dei!"

"It's a surprise, un!" He said as they made their way to Kakuzu's room - whichever member that was. "You'll see, after the doctor's appointment, un."

"Will I like it?"

Deidara, instead, knocked on Kakuzu's door, which swung open to reveal a hot sex-scene between the Jashinist and the well-covered member, execpt now he was completely naked. He had spiky, midnight black hair, making his emerald eyes that greener in contrast. His skin was a moca brown, and covered with stitches. On his arms, stomach, neck, abdomen, face...The seme looked over, and a shriek escaped from Ino's lips as she covered her mouth with balled fists. Her eyes widdened in horror, catching every inch of the man on top.

"Fuck!" The Jashinist shouted, angrilly slamming his fist down. He had more hickeys and twice the number of deep gashes on his chest and body, all of which bled profusely.

Ino was unable to register anything as the stitches from the seme's body removed themselves and - seemingly of their own accord - moved along the floor and _towards her. _She didn't know how to react.

So she did what came naturally.

She screamed and ran.

Deidara shouted at her to stop, but she hardly acknowledged him. All that was running through her mind was; _danger, evil monster. Run away. _

She slammed into someone, and all her breath left her lungs with an audible _Oof. _Gasping fresh air into her lungs, she looked up at the oppressor.

_"Little girlies that don't watch their step should be reprimanded," _the black side of the plant-man whispered. _"She looks like a good meal."_

"No," the white side replied, "that's Deidara's pet."

"_Who said it's illegal to eat dogs?" _

Ino bolted to her feet, turned, and ran back the way she'd come. In the hallway, she ran into Deidara, who instantly wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face into his chest and tried to control the violent sobbing and shaking, but found she couldn't. "Dei," she choked, "w-what was that?"

"Ssh. Let's go - I'll tell you later, un." She nodded and he slowly brought her outside.

She blinked back the sunlight and tears still lingering as they reached the surface and actual sun hit her skin. Something similar to relief rushed over her, although she hadn't felt the feeling in years and couldn't be sure that was what relief felt like. "Dei - what _was _that?" She managed, wiping the tears away with balled fists.

"Do you want to sit and calm down, un? The doctor's appointment isn't at a fixed time, un."

Ino shook her head. She wanted to move, get as far away from the base as possible. "No, I'd rather walk it out." Deidara nodded and motioned for her to follow as he walked away. She obliged.

Deidara produced a folded white envelope from his pocket and waved it a little. "Kakuzu's our treasurer, un. I was going to pick up my share early so we'd have money for today, un."

She knew she wasn't going to get an elaboration out of him about what was going on today, so she changed the subject and asked, "Dei, what was that?" She stopped and turned expectantly.

Deidara stopped as well, stuffing the envelope into his pocket again. "When you want something bad enough, you'll take it in any form you can get, un. Kakuzu won't let Hidan pay a prostitute - not enough money, un - so Hidan needs some sort of...action. It works both ways, un."

"You walk in on that often?"

Deidara nodded. "Un." They set off again, their pace liesurely.

"There was so much blood...the Jashinist..."

"Hidan, un? He's immortal - he can't die. He loves inflicting pain on himself, though, un. And bleeding. That's why he's uke, un."

"And the seme - "

"Kakuzu."

" - what about him?"

"He's a money-pincher, un. Greedy. Won't let us do anything fun, anything that involves money, that is. Not enough money for blankets, heat, nicer beds...You should'nt have screamed, un. He doesn't favor you now as it is. Then you walk in on him and run away screaming...If you want them to accept you, un, you have to show them they don't scare you."

"The plant man, Zetsu...He called me your pet."

"Let them think what they will, un, but I don't think of you as my pet."

"What _do _you see me as?"

"A beautiful woman whose life I saved, un." Her heart raced a little at that. Why did he always have to be so blunt about it? Couldn't he say something like: _A girl who needed help. A different type of person. _Even something like _An object for my release _wouldn't have bothered her just then. As it seemed, she was a sex slave already.

They made their way to the town, it only just coming into view. Loud, festive music reached their ears, and Ino let loose a heavy sigh. So Deidara had planned to bring her to some sort of festival after her doctor's visit. The thought was nice, made her feel good, but she didn't like large crowds - she always felt that either everyone was watching her, or everyone was avoiding her. It had been five years, at least, since her last participation at some sort of festival.

Five years since she'd had someone to go with.

It struck her, then, that five years ago she'd gone with Shikamaru and Choji to the Hokage's annual festival. She couldn't remember much about it, except that it had ended badly. What had happened that day...? Something that brought about her hatred of festivals, as well as her tendency to stay away from large crowds. Something that had begun her dpression. But what had it been? That day had been blocked out of her memory; it had been too tramatic for her to store, so it had been erased. She couldn't remember what had happened, but she had run home in tears.

"Dei, were you planning on bringing me to a festival?" She looked over to him as they got closer.

"That was my original intention, un. Nonde?"

"Something...Something bad happened to me five years ago. At a festival, too. I think."

"Would you rather not go, un?"

Ino considered for a moment before answering, "No. I have to remember what made me this way. I'll go, and I'll enjoy it, damnit!" She pumped a fist into the air with enthusiasim she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"You can remember your own past, un?"

"Not the five years that I was depressed," she answered with a shake of her head. "I can't remember anything before the first time I met you. Everything else is just a blur...I can hardly remember what happened before then, either. So, if I go and have fun, I might remember the previous cause for my depression. You have to know to heal, you know."

Deidara nodded. "Perhaps we should see a psychiatrist, too, un?"

Ino shook her head. "No - I'd rather talk to you." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Deidara smile.

They entered the village, then, right through the front gates. Deidara ushered Ino through the crowds, holding onto her hand firmly. With an amazed look on her face, she stumbled along the streets with the bishie that was Deidara. He brought her to a less-crowded area of town, but she could tell it was abandoned only because of the festival; the houses and their yards were nicely kept, and the businesses were tidy. Their owners busied themselves by sweeping up their grounds or pleasently chatting with one another about trivial things.

A party-going couple passed them, both wearing headbands of Ame. With a gasp, Ino caught up with Deidara - who had walked ahead of her, although gripping her hand tighter than tight. "Dei - "

"Not my real name, onegai, un."

"What do you want me to call you, then?"

"I don't know...Yuki. We're siblings, un."

"Okay. Anyway, this is Amegakure?"

"Un." He stopped and looked around for a minute, then pulled her down another street. He stopped at a cherry buiding with a white cross between two windows. Inside the cross read: AMEGAKURE MEDICAL CLINIC. He nodded and pulled her inside.

Inside, there was a small office that smelled sickly sweet. To their immediate right was a reception area with a secretary flipping through papers and chewing gum loudly, noisily popping bubbles. Deidara moved off to the nurse, and Ino followed.

The nurse looked up from her paperwork and startled recognition sparked her navy eyes, making them seem darker. "Dei - "

"_Ssh!_" He hissed, leaning in closer to the glass that seperated them.

"Right. What do you need?" The woman looked over to Ino and sighed. "STD check? Papsmear? Birth Control? Contra - "

Ino caught on. "What? _No!_" She looked over at Deidara to see that he'd gone two shades pinker.

"No, Tsuki, my friend - Yamanaka Ino - needs some bloodwork and a urine test done, un."

"Are you on birth control pills, darling?" She twirled a lock of black hair around her fingers and blew a bubble, popping it loudly.

"No." Ino answered, growing increasingly annoyed by the woman's mere presence.

She wrote this down quickly, looked up again. "Anti-depressants?"

"Un," Deidara answered. Tsuki scribbled this down as well.

"If you don't mind, _D_, I have to ask her some personal questions." Deidara nodded and took a seat at the far end of the room. Ino leaned against the small counter that came out of the wall, resting her arm on it. "Have you ever considered suicide while on an anti-depressant?"

"I thought of it once," Ino admitted. Tsuki began writing this down as she finished, "but I'm not sure if I was on the pills then."

Tsuki nodded. "Alright. Do you have any appetite at all?"

"After I went on the pill."

"Thirst?"

"After."

She nodded and wrote this down, too. "Any intense sexual urges?"

Ino blushed. So these were the personal questions. "Once or twice." Scribbles onto the paper.

"Have you had your period recently?"

"Last month, I think."

"And when is your next date?"

"Erm...The twenty-eighth, I think."

"Do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Types of medicine you refuse to take?"

"No."

"Disease?"

"No."

"Do you now, or have you ever, had a record of stroke?"

"No."

"Kidney failure?"

"No."

"An erection lasting longer than four hours?"

"Y-hey, no!"

Tsuki laughed. "Gomen. Just jokin' with you, darlin'. Okay, do you now, or have you ever, smoked?"

"No."

"Drank an alcoholic beverage?"

"No."

"Been on the Pill before, sweetie?"

"I'm a virgin."

Tsuki nodded, scribbling non-stop. "What do you like to do for fun, darling?"

"Flower arrangements."

"Oh, that's nice," she replied, her tone sugary sweet. "Anything else?"

"Not particularly."

Tsuki nodded again. "Food you like?"

"Erm...Whatever's given to me?"

Tsuki flashed a smile and wrote this down. "How've you been feeling?"

"Feeling?" Ino replied, sure she'd forgotten what these were. "Erm...Better after I started the medication."

"Before that?"

"Everything was just...black. And cold. I was trapped in nothingness..." That same nothingness sloshed through her thoughts then, threatening to take over. Whenever she thought about it, an icy feeling always washed through her veins, as if a poision stored in her veins reawakened and was ready to pull her under again.

"Try not to think about it, dear." Tsuki advised, "Ever had any bloodwork done before?"

"No."

"Has there ever been a need for you to go to a doctor's?"

"No."

"Original village of residence?"

Ino hesitated. Giving this away could expose the Akatsuki...

"Don't worry, darling - We're with you."

Ino studied Tsuki for a long moment, trying to read her eyes. But they were blank; they offered no condolence. "Er, Konohagakure."

Tsuki nodded, and the scribbling and questions came to a halt. "All done! Your registration's complete. Now," she stood with the papers containing Ino's information and continued, "go through that door there. I'll meet you on the other side." Ino looked to the left, where she noticed a door directly across the one she and Deidara had entered through. Calmly, Ino walked over to the door, lying her hand over it, and calling out to her 'brother' to come with her. He nodded and silently followed.

Tsuki was at the other side of the door, waiting paitently where a hallway to the right connected to the one going straight ahead. She flashed a pearly white smile and turned her back to them. "This way, onegai." She led them up the straight hallway, and took a left, where a digital scale was waiting. "If you could stand on the scale, onegai, and take your shoes off." Ino nodded and removed her shoes, handing them to Deidara. She stepped onto the scale and dared the electronic meter defy her.

Pushing a few buttons, Tsuki calculated Ino's body weight into pounds - a complete total of one hundred and eight pounds. "That's good, considering," Tsuki mumbled as she wrote down the weight into Ino's file.

"Considering what?"

"The fact that your muscles are deteriorating. It's in your footsteps." She smiled at the amazed look on Ino's face. "This room here," she said as she walked down the hall a bit - back the way they'd come - and to a door that was labeled 'eight.' She opened the door, allowed them in, and followed them. "Alright, Yamanaka, I'm going to take your blood pressure and check out your breathing, along with your heartrate. Okay?"

"Hai." She hopped up onto the tissue-paper-lined bed and rolled up the sleeve of her right arm. Deidara took an empty seat that was to her left.

Tsuki set the clipboard, file, and pen onto a countertop harboring a sink and cabinents both under and below it, and picked up a stethoscope, putting it into her ears. She grabbed the handheld-heartrate measure that hung in a wire basked on the wall beside Ino's bed and wrapped it around Ino's upper arm, holding the soundpiece to it in one hand as she pumped the device in the other. She watched the meter for a moment, then unstrapped the heartrate identifyer and shoved it back into its wire cradle on the wall. "A normal heartrate," she announced, writing the numbers down on Ino's file. "All right, last thing I gotta see before you meet my brother. All I gotta do now is check your breathing."

Ino nodded and rolled down her sleeve. "What do I need to do?"

"Just sit upright and take deep breaths as I tell you to," Tsuki instructed as she got behind Ino and placed the listening piece to the stethoscope up her shirt. It was cold. "Deep breath." Ino obliged. "Let it out slowly, through your mouth." Tsuki listened. "Good. Once more." Ino repeated the breathing, Tsuki continued to listen intently. "Good, good." Tsuki said as she removed the stethoscope from her ears and, throwing the replaceable ear caps away, left the two of them. The file was left on the countertop for the doctor.

Exhasperated, Ino fell back onto the bed and let out a heavy sigh. "It's good you decided to take me to that fair," she told him, looking over to him.

"Why, un?"

"You _so _owe me."

Deidara smiled, and the doctor walked in. "Ohiyo," he breathed as he closed the door behind himself, "gomenasai. Tsuki forgot to check your liver and stomach. Mind if I do that?"

Ino nodded and stared up at the linoleum ceiling. The doctor pulled down the flap of her pants a little and pressed down on her stomach, liver, ovaries, and right kidney. "Hurt anywhere?"

"No."

"How about here?" He pressed down on her left kidney and she shouted out before bolting upright, grabbing her kidney. "Did that hurt?" The doctor asked, and Ino wanted nothing more than to beat the living crap out of the man.

"Yes," she growled, trying to hold her temper.

"UTI, left kidney. Just as Sasori described." The doctor went and scribbled something into her file. "However, it appears to be much worse than Sasori originally believed. You've got a kidney infection, Yamanaka-chan." He finished writing and looked over to her almost expectantly.

"H-how much medicine will I be on?" She asked him, making it a project to keep from crying.

"It seems pretty bad, so I'm going to put you on seven hundred and fifty milligrams of Cephalex and some Tylenol for pain." He returned to her side. "Now, we've got one more thing to take care of. Tsuki says you've never had blood drawn before, so you may not want to watch." The doctor - who, Ino realized, had failed to introduce himself properly - opened a cupboard and withdrew from it a large, blue case made of some sort of plastic. He set it on the countertop and, lifting the catches, opened the case. "Yamanaka-chan, are you squemish?"

"A little," she wondered how he'd get the blood. Break the skin with a kunai, perhaps? That was all she could think of. She was a little bit of medic-nin, yes, but she was _definitely _not a phlebotomist.

The doctor pulled out a rubber band and tied it tightly around her right arm. He pulled out a needle, and she knew watching him would make her sick. "N-niisan?" She called weakly.

"Un?" Deidara answered, at her side in an instant.

"Can you hug me, onegai?" Deidara nodded and held her close. She bured her face in his chest and clenched her eyes shut.

The doctor wasn't an idiot. The instant she'd properly covered her face, he plunged the needle into the crook of her arm. She squealed, but realized it didn't actually hurt too bad. "There," the doctor murmured, placing a bandaid over the puncture site, "all finished." Held out before her were three tubes of blood, each corked with a different colored stopper.

"Wha...But, how'd you get three?" She asked, blinking back tears.

The doctor laughed. "You'd be surprised at how easily you can bleed. Well, that's all. Tell Pein he can expect a call from us reguarding Yamanaka-chan by next week." The doctor collected his files and blood and opened the door. "Goodbye. Please don't come back too soon." He held the door open for them and showed them the way out.

"Arigato, sensei." Deidara called as they walked away.

"Just don't find a reason to come back!" The doctor shouted, and they laughed.

As they walked away, Ino felt the need to talk. "How do they know you...Niisan?"

Deidara smiled. "They've always supported our...family, un."

Ino nodded. She recalled Tsuki's exhasperated expression when she'd asked if Ino needed some sort of contraception. "Niisan...You're not a virgin, are you?" She already knew the answer.

Deidara hesitated. "...No, un. I'm not."

She nodded. "Okay." An uncomfortable silence passed while she tried to figure out how to put what she was thinking into words. "Erm...Niisan...Has, uh..." her voice faltered. If Deidara didn't want to speak his name or mention the Akatsuki, how could she bring Hidan into the conversation?

"Nani?" He pressed.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I'll ask later."

Deidara dropped it at that. "Okay. Now, wanna go shopping, un? I've got two thousand yen on me, un."

A cash register chinged open. "T-two _thousand, _you said?"

Deidara nodded. "All for you, un. To spend on anything you like. My treat, un."

Excitement rushed through her - something she'd never felt before Deidara - and an insatiable urge to spend the money came along with it. Her stomach growled, though, and she wrapped and arm around her stomach and murmured, "I'm hungry."

Deidara nodded. "Okay. Do you wanna go into town or around it, un?"

She couldn't hurt him by saying she didn't want to participate - not after he'd seemed so excited to bring her. "_Inside _town is where all the best eateries are," she mused. She nodded and finished, "Yeah. Sounds liks fun. We could go see what's happening..."

Deidara brightened. "Really? You don't mind, un?"

"Of course not," Ino flashed a smile. "Wherever you go, I'm happy to follow." Perhaps not the best thing to say, but she had no experience with relationships - she'd never been in one before.

This must've worked for Deidara, because he smiled and said, "Great, un!" By now, they were right in the throng of the city. A band played loudly outside one store, and spectators crowded around it in a tightly-packed semi-circle. Confetti littered the streets, buildings, plants, and everywhere she looked, Ino spotted a couple leaning in for a kiss.

Alomst every time she saw this she turned to face Deidara and opened her mouth to say something, only to find herself too scared. She would look away, then, and find something else to settle her gaze on.

A firm grip on her hand, Deidara found an eatery that wasn't too crowded and steared her over to it. It was the walk-in type, with no wall between shop and street, but she didn't care. The sweet smell of dango, omurice, rice cakes, and Ramen wafted to her once the curtains were drawn back, and she took a deep breath, her mouth instantly watering. She and Deidara took a seat at the bench in swirly-stool chairs, and a worker came over. "Ohiyo damas. What can I get you?"

Ino thought for only a second before she answered, "A plate of dango, onegai, and some rice cakes. Can I get some sweet bean paste with that, too?"

"Hai. Tea?"

"Mizu, onegai."

The worker nodded and turned to Deidara, who mumbled, "Same as her." The worker left them.

"Gomen, Niisan...Is that too much?" She looked over, honestly expecting to see him fingering his money with a 'I-couldn't-possibly-pay-for-this' sort of look on his face.

But a look of that sort wasn't anywhere on his face. "No, no, not at all, un. Anything you can't finish can always be brought back with us, un."

Ino nodded, looking away. Slowly, another epiphany came to her; this was just Deidara's way of sneaking her on a date. She found this more flattering than offensive, however, and, flattered, turned away even more.

The waiter came then, with a "Hai," as he set their meals and drink in front of them.

"Arigato," Ino muttered, "itadakimasu." She took a rice cake and dipped it into her spherical container of sweet bean paste. Taking a small bite, she pulled it away fom her mouth, bobbing her head a little in a vain attempt to keep the past from falling onto her face. But it did, leaving a trail from the corner of her mouth to her chin. A very thick trail that wouldn't be an easy removal. Mumbling a small, "Kuso," she looked around for napkins. When she couldn't find any, another curse was uttered. "No napkins?" She asked Deidara, who produced some from a bin beside him, invisible to her. "Oro? Oh, arigato." She took the napkins he'd supplied her and cleared away the paste.

"Oh, you have a little here, un." Deidara touched his face where the paste lay on hers. When she failed to locate it, he took the napkins from her. "_Here_, un," he said as he gently cleaned off the paste.

Ino's face got hot as she stuttered, "O-oh, thanks."

Deidara, noticing her discomfort, nodded and moved back to his food. "Eat up, un. This is your dinner."

"Really?" She asked, her mouth full of food again. "Nonde? What time is it?"

"'Bout six, seeing as the band left, un."

She hadn't noticed the village was music-deprived now. "Wow. I hadn't noticed." She bit into a dango, finished with her previous rice cake.

"And we still have to go shopping, un." Deidara mumbled, sipping his tea.

"Shopping? For what?"

"Supplies, of course. You think our family'll just give you what you need to learn, un? Hell no - we're cheap, remember? So I'll buy you what you need to get started, un."

"I thought the lessons would be once a day, with one sensei at a time." She finished her dango and took a sip of tea.

The waiter came over before Deidara could answer. "You want a bag for that? It's closin' time."

"Oh, it is?" She honestly hadn't noticed the time fly by. "Uh, hai." The worker nodded and stalked off. "Oh, wow," Ino breathed as she looked over her shoulder and out to the city's streets. "it's starting to get dark." She shuddered a little. "And cold."

"We still have to go shopping, un." Deidara groaned. "We'll miss the fireworks! They're the best part, un."

"Oh, gomen. Time flies when I'm with you." She caught his glance. "It's never gone by so fast before...I didn't mean to ruin your plains."

"Don't apologize. If we go now, we'll have time to catch the end, un." He was seriously outweighing fireworks to time with her.

The waiter appeared again with their food, all neatly wrapped up in a brown baggie. "That's four hundred yen." Deidara nodded and handed the man money from his white evelope, then folded the envelope up again and returned it to his pocket. Ino took the food.

They walked out then, and Ino said to him, "If we rush, we can probably get everything done before the fireworks start," -she looked up to the sky--"looks like we still have about two hours before it gets dark."

"Scratch that," Deidara told her, "it's winter, un. More like half and hour."

Ino nodded. "We can always see the fireworkd first, if you want." She'd never cared about what someone else wanted before. It almost felt odd...But not wrong. She knew this was the right thing to offer.

Deidara's eyes lit up. "Oh, really, un? I love fireworks."

She nodded, and as they walked, she wanted nothing more than to tell him what she loved. Was it love? Did she _love _Deidara? She couldn't be sure; she'd never felt any sort of affection towards anyone before. She'd never _cared _about a person before, let alone love. Perhaps Deidara...? She looked over to him - she being only a few inches shorter than he - and studied him as they continued down the street, searching for a good spot to sit. Deidara located one; it was a small clearing, perfectly flat, its grass bed unblemished by rocks or trees. They laid down among the tall grass, staring up at the indigo sky. Deidara held his hands behind his head, using them for a pillow. There was a space between them where their food sat that Ino desperately wanted to fill. She didn't want to be so far away...

Darkness fell almost suddenly, as if someone had turned out the lights over Ame. Ino shuddered a bit, but didn't complain. She wanted to use any excuse possible to get closer to him, but found her mouth clamped shut. Her palms were sweaty, and her heart racing. Despite the cold, she was fairly warm.

The fireworks began then, and Ino felt the need to explode the same way - to make all her thoughts and feelings perfectly clear, to shower them over Deidara. But she didn't know how to communicate, to verbalize. It was up to him to make the first move, because she didn't know how. Besides this, whenever she even thought about him, her heart nearly stopped and her breathing cut itself short. She was so damn nervous, she didn't know what to do with herself.

_How dare you fireworks, _she cursed them, _how dare you express yourselves so easily when I can't? _They replied with another explosion; this one of reds, blues, and golds. An umbrella of the sparkling rainbow fell from the heavens, and she could hear several people 'ooh' and 'aah' with amazement.

The finale came then, and twenty or so were lit all at once, all simultaneously exploding, illuminating the night sky. On a quick glance, Ino noticed the insane smile illuminating Deidara's face, making his visible eye seem bigger, rounder with such intensity Ino felt her mouth water, but her throat go dry. Why couldn't she get used to it?

Ino sat upright along with Deidara, but found her mouth sewn shut. "Beautiful," Deidara told her. "Simply art, un." He stretched, stifling a yawn. "What'd you think, Ino?"

Her name being said by his voice was more than bliss. Her heart raced, and she feared she wouldn't be able to speak - her throat had gone dry almost instantly. "It was beautiful," Her voice cracked, but she managed to answer, at the very least.

"Un." Deidara agreed. "Only a couple of things that can match that." But he didn't elaborate, and, honestly, she didn't want him to. She would've died of a heart attack if he did. "Ready to head back, un?"

"Yeah," she managed, "but you may need to help me." She was so exhausted she feared she wouldn't make it to the Akatsuki base on her own. A fatigue swept over her, at the joints and legs especially. She tried to push herself onto her feet, and found she couldn't. She cried out as she plopped onto the ground again. "Dei, I...can't get up." She was so weak she felt like crying.

A confused look spread over Deidara's face as he stood and stretched a hand out to her. She took it and tried to hold on tight, but found her hand trembling with the effort. Deidara grabbed her hand firmly, then used his spare hand to grab her arm. He pulled her onto her feet, and she collapsed onto him, her legs unable to support her weight. "Ino...?"

Tears welled now; the weakness too great to bear. "Dei, I can't! Itai!"

"What hurts?" Deidara commanded, pushing her back a bit so he could look into her face.

"_Everywhere!" _She whined, letting her head loll back and looked up at the sky. "So weak..."

Deidara scopped her up, bridal style, and jumped off, leaving the food. Her consciousness began to waver as sleep threatened to engulf her. "Dei...don't let go..."

"Stay with me, un!" Deidara commanded. His voice was faraway, distant. It was of no use; she was slipping into the realm of the subconscious. "Don't close your eyes, Ino! Stay awake, un! Stay!" But it was in vain; her eyelids drooped dangerously, until they finally closed. "Ino!" Was the last thing she heard before she lost consciousness.

* * *

**A/n: **

_**Translations:**_

_**Uke: Reciever **_

_**Seme: Dominant **_

_**Nonde: Why**_

_**Bishie: Prettyboy **_

_**Ame(gakure): Village Hidden in the Rain **_

_**Onegai: Please **_

_**Sensei: Although it's usually used for 'teacher,' it can also be used as 'doctor'**_

_**Dango and Omurice are common foods - sort of like ricecakes. **_

_**Ohiyo Damas: Good morning (high respect) **_

_**Mizu: Water**_

_**Hai: Yes, right, here **_

_**Itadakimasu: I gratefully recieve **_

_**Oro: Huh? **_

_**Itai: It hurts **_

**Okay, that's all! The attack Ino suffered just at the end was from the anemia - I suffer the same thing sometimes, but I've never collapsed from it (perhaps because Ino's suffering from it more than I am). Erm...Everything at the doctor's clinic was an attempt at the real thing as close as possible - I hope I came close! Also, they called her 'Yamanaka-chan' because, in Japan, it's of the highest respect to call someone by their last name. They do the same thing at the schools. Anyway, please, please review and tell me what you think!!! **


	4. Day 6

**Chapter 4**

Her eyes fluttered open the next day - or, at least, to what she _thought _was the next day - on a bed that wasn't Deidara's and in a room that wasn't part of the Akatsuki's base. Confusion sweeping over her as her vision cleared, she sat upright on the foreign bed, letting the foreign blankets slip off her, onto her lap. Looking to the left, she spied a window. All of Ame was visible, so she assumed she was on a top floor. There was an IV running into her hand, which she set her gaze off of. Instead, she looked to her right, and a smile instantly came over her.

Snuggling deeply into a chair was Deidara, legs spread, arms over his stomach. He snored lightly, mouth closed. Ino giggled - something she was doing more of only as of late - and called, "Dei! _Dei!_"

Deidara snored once more before bolting upright, shouting, "I'm up, un!" He looked over to her, relief washing over his face. "Ino, you're okay, un! I was so worried!" He flung his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. Her electronic heartrate meter beeped faster.

"I-I'm okay," she managed, hugging him back so as not to feel so nervous.

Deidara pulled back, looking her in the eyes, still holding her a little. "You don't sound okay, un." His beautiful features were creased over with worry. His visible eye was large and oval, and she felt she could stare into it for hours without saying a word.

"I'm alright, Dei. I Feel great." This last bit was only half right. Both of her kidneys were numb with dehydration, and had hurt a little when she sat upright. Deidara studied her still, and she gave a cheesy smile, hoping he'd back off.

He didn't. "Sensei said you were fatigued - that you were running on nothing but muscle cells. Your body had started devouring itself, un. He says you need to eat and drink more regularly. And he's got your prescriptions ready, un."

She noticed for the first time a table at the foot of her bed containing four bottles of pills. "What are they?" She asked, looking at them. Deidara backed off her, handing her the tall cylinders. The first read: FERROUS SULFATE, 750 MG, TAB RUG. The directions told her to take one once a day. The second shouted CEPHACEXIN 500 MG, CAPSULE TEV and told her to take one capsule a day, by mouth four times a day. The third was a regular bottle of Tylenol. The fourth was labled PROZAC 350 MG, CAPSULE TEV and commanded her to take one once a day, or twice a day, if needed. She sighed at this one, stared down at it. "Anti-depressents." It wasn't a question.

Deidara sat on the foot of her bed, nodded. "They'll make you feel better, un," he promised, "But I'm in charge of giving you those. They have a possibility of becoming addictive, un."

"Thanks, Dei." She softly thanked him, handing him the pills. He placed the back on the table and returned to her gaze. "I don't deserve someone like you taking such good care of me."

"Minamadeiuna." He said gently, sitting beside her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "You deserve to be helped, un."

"I feel like I owe you something," she choked, "for getting in the way."

"I've told you before - you're not in the way, un. Besides, I like knowing you. You're fun to be around, un."

What a lie that was. She'd never been useful, anywhere. Never been 'fun to hang out with' or even 'a good way to relieve pressure.' No, she wasn't labeled as either of these, or any variation. She was the loner, the weird girl that never spoke to anyone. The girl that everyone avoided; the girl that didn't belong. Put simply, she'd always been the girl with no definition. "Dei," she began with a sigh, "is all this just pity?"

"All what, un?"

"All of everything. Since I met you. Has it all been out of pity?" The black hovered over her thoughts, threatening to smother them again in an instant. She frowned.

Deidara stared her straight in the eye, a serious frown hardening his features. "What makes you think it's all out of pity, un?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I don't understand why someone like you would help a lost cause like me."

"Minamadeiuna." He commanded, "I don't think you were a lost cause - that's why I thought you were worth saving, un. And your hair was amazing...I thought I'd hallucinated and seen an angel, un."

What lies. Even if they were, they went straight to heart. "R-really? You thought that?" She could feel hope glitter in her eyes.

"Of course I did," Deidara replied as he hugged her close, "You're the most beautiful creature I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, un."

She wanted to kiss him now more than ever. Without quite realizing it, she leaned in closer to his face, slowly. He was doing the same, she noticed. His lips were only inches from hers; she could feel his breath on her neck...

...And they were interrupted by Tsuki, who shuffled inside, going over data on a clipboard. She looked up to see Ino and Deidara jumped upright, and a broad smile brightened her navy eyes. "Oh, the drama! If only I'd come a second later!"

Ino had to fight a strong urge to strangle the woman.

"Well, I have to check your vitals. In and out, I promise." She moved to Ino's left - Deidara was sitting beside her on the right - and checked her breathing and pulse on the machines. "Are you alright, dear? Your heartrate was really erratic there." She looked over at Ino.

Ino blushed. "Oh, no, I'm fine."

Tsuki nodded, began the process of removing the tubes from Ino. She winced, looked towards Deidara. "If you need to go to the bathroom," Tsuki began, "try going immediately. Holding it makes the UTI worse, more painful."

"Okay." Tsuki went by the door, but just stood there. Ino counted three seconds before she snapped, "You can go now!"

"Oh, right. 'Bye!" And she left, closing the door tightly behind her.

Ino met Deidara's gaze, feelings reignited. She hoped her eyes portrayed what her mouth couldn't say: _Kiss me. _

Deidara must've picked up on the message, because he leaned in again, his head tilted a little. She leaned in again as well, her mouth watering with anticipation. He got closer with every passing second, tilting his head a little more each time. Finally, his lips met hers. They were soft, but firm; giving, but not taking. He tasted as good as he smelled; sort of like clay, with a masculine twinge resembeling something similar to strawberries. She leaned in closer, her arms snaking over his shoulders.

He backed off, and only then did she realize she needed to breathe. Her breath recollected, she leaned her head onto his shoulder and murmured, "You taste really good, Dei." She felt so relieved, now that the ice between them had been broken.

"Un." He wrapped the arm closest to her around her waist, pulling her close. "You taste something like bananas. Really, really sweet bananas, un."

"I thought you tasted like strawberry clay," she murmured. If they had been at the base, she could've fallen asleep in his arms.

"Strawberry clay, un? That's new, un..."

She _wanted _to ask if he was a virgin - although she doubted that - but her vocabulary had been stolen from her. Instead, she settled for, "Can we go home now?" _Home? _She asked herself, _Great. I'm thinking of a base filled with s-class, rogue nin as home. _Still, it was the closest thing to home she'd ever known, even if there was only one person living there that loved her.

"We have to get the discharge papers from Tsuki-sensei, un," he murmured in her ear.

"Let's go get her, then."

"I'm certain you're not supposed to leave the room yet, un."

"Then you go." She imagined how cold she'd feel once his arms disentangled themselves from around her, how lonely she'd be when he left the room, and realized she didn't want that at all.

"Do you want me to, un?"

"Iie," she said firmly, wrapping her arms tighter around him as she settled on his chest. No longer bogged down by the wires of the machinery, she felt the need to be closer to him. "don't go anywhere. Stay right here." Deidara nodded and laid back against the bed. She followed, lying on top of him, resting her head down where his heart should be. He kept his arms around her. "Dei?"

"Un?"

"I believe you now." Her right hand strayed and moved to his hair, entangling itself within his large bangs. She twirled his hair around her fingers slowly, loving how his hair felt like silk between his fingers. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Deidara's hands followed her example. His left stayed at the small of her back, whilst the other traced her body up and rested on her head. He played with her ponytail a little and murmured, "Never doubt how you feel, un."

"I didn't think it was real," she whispered, guilty for having thought that way, "I'd never _felt _before."

"Glad to have been the catalyst to your epiphany, un." He sighed then, deep in thought. "If only you were healthier..." Ino both wanted to, and didn't want to, ask what he was thinking.

Her doctor - the same nameless man as before - knocked on the door and walked inside. "Okay. Yamanaka," he said as he closed the door behind himself, "You're all set." He looked down on them and smirked. "We have to use this bed again, you know." Deidara laughed, but Ino didn't get it. "Here," the doctor began, putting her prescriptions in a bag, "Do as directed. Come back if you have any sort of reaction. And sign this." He handed her his clipboard, fully loaded with a pen and paper. Ino studied it as she sat upright on Deidara's pelvis, and he elaborated, "It's the release form. Just a little proof that you're healthy enough to walk outta here."

Ino signed along the dotted line. "Can I ask you a few questions?" She asked as she handed the clipboard back.

"Of course," the doctor motioned to the far wall and Ino followed him there, where they were just out of Deidara's earshot.

"Okay. Erm...When will I be fit enough to be...active?"

The doctor smiled. "Give it three months. By then you should be strong enough to do whatever you want. The anti-depressants will work after a few days of consecutive dosage, so you should be feeling and recognizing feelings by next week. The iron pills take about three weeks to _really _kick in, so try to eat things high in iron. Don't eat any sort of dairy or whole-grain foods when taking it - they counteract with the iron. When you take it, I suggest taking it with some sort of Vitamin C - it enhances iron absorption. The antibiotics should start clearing out your system within the same time period as the iron, so be sure to drink plenty of water along with it. Take the Tylenol whenever you feel you need it, but no more than eight a day. Come back if you don't see results within the first month, okay?"

"Hai. Arigato, sensei."

The doctor nodded. "Take care. Have Deidara call me if you have any major problems." She nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him.

Ino looked back to Deidara and sighed. He was so alluring...She wanted to kiss him again. Or, she wanted him to kiss her. Whichever worked. "Hmmm, bishie, bishie, bishie." She cooed as she returned to him.

"Your voice is getting prettier, un."

She considered this as she sat on him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. He'd beed sitting upright now, and wraped one arm around the small of her back, sending the other to rest on her head. "I used to have a pretty voice, I think. And then I stopped talking..."

"Un," he said softly as he nudged her closer. He buried his face in her hair, smelling. "Would you like to go shopping today, un?"

"I just wanna be with you."

* * *

Deidara brought her shopping in the end. He bought her a bathing suit for her swimming class - a bikini, simple pastel blue, like his eyes - a couple of notebooks, a sketchbook, a calculator, some shruiken, kunai, a backpack to carry it all in, and a couple of outfits he helped pick out. One was pretty much an exact copy of the one she used to wear before she went ANBU, and the other consisted of fishnets, a middrift, and a tight skirt that fell to the extent of her arms. And, begrudgingly, she let him help her pick out some bras and panties. So much for the surprise factor. Now he knew everything she wore, inside and out. 

Currently, in her new outfit that looked like her old one, she sat in the trees with Deidara, picking at loose bark. Her mouth was wet again; she desperately wanted Deidara to kiss her. She didn't know how to be seductive, so she was forced to wait for Deidara to make a move. She wanted to try, but didn't want to make a fool out of herself.

"Ino?"

"Hmm?"

"What made you so depressed, un?"

She looked off into the distance; the tree they were perched on gave an excellent view of Ame. She could see the mountains to the west of the small town, forests to the east and south. "I don't remember," she replied softly, "it was all...erased. All I remember was that it hurt. Bad."

Deidara draped an arm over her shoulders, pulled her close. "Do you think...maybe somebody raped you, un?"

Rape. The word and thought scared her, but didn't remind her of anything, which was somewhat of a good thing. _Nobody raped me, _she thought, _but someone definitely hurt me. _"I-I don't think so..." She tried thinking back to when it all started, but found nothing but nausea. "I'm pretty sure it had something to do with that, though. Just...not me..." She laid her head on Deidara's chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Deidara was silent for a while, thinking. "Well, we'd better get going. Hatafuri expected us to to be back late yesterday, early this morning, un." Ino nodded, and they jumped off in the direction of the base. Her pack, filled with her studying supplies and medicine, bounced against her back.

Ino's mind clouded over as she fell prey to her thoughts. She couldn't remember much before she'd met Deidara - she'd lived every day as a robot, with absolutely no memory of it, taking in information and processing it, but never storing it - and anything she _could _remember was useless information; Sakura announcing her marital plans with Sasuke, Temari announcing her plan to stay in Konoha wirh Shikamaru. Nothing of true value, nothing she could hold within her own heart and keep secret. Everything from her childhood had been locked away as well; she could barely remember how she and Sakura had once been friends, how she'd once loved Sasuke.

Wait...she'd loved before?

Ino stopped at the next branch, unsure of what to think. Deidara stopped as well, one branch ahead, and looked over his shoulder at her. "Ino?" He called back, but she hardly acknowledged him. Broken memories of the post-depression clouded her vision, demanding all of her attention. Shikamaru, her old teammate...

Shikamaru had been her boyfriend.

And he'd been murdered the day of the Hokage's festival.

Everything slammed onto her then, causing her to stumble back a bit on the branch. She'd been Shikamaru's _cheat object _when his engagement to Temari was rough. An assasination was attempted on the Hokage, and Shikarmaru had saved her, giving his own life in exchange.

Ino had ran away from the festival, away from the crowd of avoid eyes. She couldn't face anyone, much less Temari or herself.

So she barricaded herself in her room for three days, crying. She locked the memories away after a few days, slowly giving in to the sloshing, cold darkness within her mind. Once she'd withdrawn into the confines of her mind - giving the darkness complete control - the darkness rewarded her with a numb condolence. She didn't have to fight the scary emotions, or dredge through every day. She didn't have to think - all she had to do was feed and hydrate herself. The darkness took care of all the emotions, along with all nagative thought processes. There was no need to feel guilty or sad - a cold feeling protected her from all of that.

Tears welled instantly as realization struck. Her legs gave out from underneath her, and suddenly she was falling, falling...

Something interferred with her descent to the forest floor, causing tears to well. Deidara found a nearby branch to land on and held her close, and she buried her face into his chest, pounding it a little as she sobbed, "No! No! He's dead and it's _all my fault! _I couldn't stop him, couldn't save him...And I _never told his girlfriend! _I should've owned up, told her everything...But I was too scared!" The tears came freely now, unbridled and freely soaking into Deidara's shirt. "I couldn't do it, Dei," she sobbed, "because I was _weak_." She spat the last word through her sobs, irate that she'd had to admit it. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed, followed by an instant shower of heavy rain. Ino cried harder, hardly able to breathe.

Deidara pulled her close, his head acting as a canopy from the rain. "It doesn't make you a bad person, un."

Another clasp of thunder. "I'm a _horrible _person!" She shouted over the storm.

Deidara took her fave into his hands gently, forcing her to look into his eyes. Before she could say anything, he plunged his lips onto hers, closing his eyes. Hers stayed open, too shocked to reply. His sweet strawberry scent filled her nostrils, instantly relaxing her. She sighed, comforted, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He broke for air, and she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Definitely human.

Deidara scooped her up, bridal style, and jumped off, through the trees. Ino clutched his shirt tightly, holding as close to his chest as possible. Her eyes fluttered, but it was too cold to sleep. Instead, she traced imaginary circles with the same finger that was helping her to grab at his shirt. Deidara increased his speed, and she held her ear close to his heart, listening to the rythmic beating.

* * *

Next thing she knew, Deidara was nudging her awake. "Ino? We're here, un." 

Ino's eyes fluttered open to reveal that they were at the entrance of the Akatsuki headquarters. The rain was still coming down, but lighter now. The sun was out, and some earlybirds were chirping. She yawned, looked up at Deidara, who was still cradling her.

She nearly died of self-induced suffocation.

Deidara seemed more than a god as he stared down at her, head perfectly eclipsing the sun, his visible pastel-blue eye large and gleaming, blonde hair falling lank over his shoulders, so close she could smell his shampoo. "O-oro?" She managed, exhaling all of the air out of her lungs.

"We're at the base, un," Deidara paitently repeated.

"O-oh. Okay." He sat her on her feet, and she fell onto him, her legs unable to support the weight. She fell onto Deidara, who wasn't expecting it, causing the both of them to tumble to the ground, Ino on top of Deidara. Ino's face went hot, her lips having met his. Deidara smiled, comfortably sending his right hand into her hair, untying the tie holding her hair up. Shivers ran down her spine, straight to her feet, and back again.

Gently, but forcefully at the same time, Deidara pushed her onto her back, taking control. He hovered above her on his hands and knees, leaving a trail of kisses from her mouth to her cheek, her chin, earlobe, neck, shoulder. She cooed accordingly, when he hit an especially sensitive spot. Her legs instinctively rose, and her knees accidentally bumpbed into a very sensitive spot of his.

Deidara froze at the unexpected touch. "Oh...erm...Gomen?" Ino tried, and he unfroze, chuckling and continuing on with his kisses. Heat radiated from that spot of his, and Ino wanted nothing more than to learn Anatomy from him.

She decided to spur him on, ran her fingers through his hair and gripped it needfully. "Nngh, Dei..." He nibbled her earlobe in response, flicking his tongue out behind the lobe, circling around her hoop-piercing. She moaned, her legs sliding to the ground again. He smilied, kissing his way to the little clevage she showed. She groaned again, arching upwards, accidentally hitting her sensitive spot against his.

"Best not do that, un," Deidara murmured, his lips against hers. The shivers visciously ran down her spine again, and she winced. "I've never had a steady girl before. Only one-nighters, un." She gulped at that. There was no way he'd wait for her, or even take it slow. He'd probably never heard of such things before.

She gulped down the anxiety as Deidara continued on with lustful kisses.

Someone stepped by her head, causing both to look up in surprise. There stood Sasori, looking down on them disdainfully. "Tsk," he began irritably, "already, brat? How long has it been, a week?" Sasori shook his head, grabbed Deidara and pulled him onto his feet. He did the same with Ino, only a little gentler. "Don't forget what the doctor said," Sasori reminded her, "three months."

Shock ran through her. "N-nani? How'd you know about that?"

A bored look was all over Sasori's face. "You're both a day late. The doctor called yesterday and informed me of the prognosis."

"O-oh. Okay, hai." She bowed a little.

Sasori turned to Deidara. "Got her meds?" Deidara nodded, removed her pack from his shoulders - _When'd he take that? - _and produced the bag containing her four bottles of medicine. Sasori took it from him, explaining, "I'll take these. If I leave them with the brat, you'll be an addict in no time. That and you'd never take it properly."

"You never give me enough credit, danna!" Deidara protested, but Sasori ignored him.

"Hai." Ino answered Sasori's order, looking to the ground. Sasori motioned to go inside, and Deidara instantly followed. A little annoyed at Deidara's suddenly change of loyalty, Ino caught up with them and silently followed along behind Deidara.

Once inside, at the main chamber, Ino realized for the first time how decorated it was. It was a very traditional-styled interior; with mahogany planks holding evergreen boards together. There was a large rectangular table at the center - big enough to suit nine men. _This table, _she reasoned, _is the meeting table of the Akatsuki. Perhaps we entered from a different door, then? _

Ino continued to evaluate her surroundings, feeling completely foreign in the comfortable living space. "Is this the same base?" She wondered aloud as she moved to the table and ran her fingers along the smooth stone. Granite.

"Un." Deidara verified, standing beside her. "You never paid much attention to anything before." It wasn't a question.

"I guess not," she murmured. "I never noticed how beautiful the inside is."

"There's more," Deidara whispered, pulling her close, "stuff I never showed you, un."

"Will you show me now?" Raw curiosity sparked through her for the first time in ages.

Deidara studied her for a moment. "No. You're exhausted, un."

"I'm not,"-she yawned--"tired at all. Why would you think that?"

Deidara smiled, hitching her pack over his right shoulder as he pulled her close with his left arm. She leaned on him, gratefully, fearful that her legs were growing weak again. "Sasori-danna suggests that you get some rest. He noticed how exhausted you are, un. He wants to begin your training tomorrow." They left for his room silently.

"But I'm not - "

"Learning medic skills isn't very laborous, un. You'll be fine," he assured, only a little too certain.

"But then everyone else will join in!" She whined. She did not want this - she wasn't ready to handle heavy training again.

"So be it, un. This is the Akatsuki, Ino, not a group of friends. I'm the only friend you've got, but I can't protect you from everything forever, un. You can do it, Ino. I know you can, un."

Such comforting words were completely new to her. Henceforth, they went straight to heart. "Y-you have faith in me?"

"Nothing less, un." They stopped at the door to his room, and Deidara turned to her and continued, "I'm always here for you, and I always will be. Promise, un."

That was it. Tears welled as she held a balled fist to her mouth. "Thanks, Dei!" She shouted, forcing a tight hug with them.

Deidara warmly hugged her back. It felt good to have someone who hugged back. "You'll stay with me, right?" She asked, loosening her hold on him to look into his eyes.

"If you want, un." He opened the door and allowed her inside. He locked the door behind her.

Satisfied, Ino moved over to Deidara's bed and plopped herself down with a sigh of content. Deidara followed and wrapped his arms around her waist, gently coaxing her onto her back. He pulled her close and whispered, "You're still damp, un."

"S-so are you," she managed, trying - and failing - to keep from blushing.

Deidara smiled and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Perhaps we should go freshen up, un." His left hand ventured up to her bangs, entangling itself in her hair. His left side was resting on her, the right relying on his bed for comfort.

"Perhaps," she managed. Honestly, the thought of warm, dry clothes was almost more appealing than Deidara. She shuddered, suddenly aware of the freezing cold.

"Do you think you could handle a shower, un?" He asked, backing off her to be able to look down on her.

"Shower? You have showers here?"

Deidara smiled. "Call me crazy, but most men don't like taking baths, un."

"Then what's the tub for?"

"Konan wanted one. Hatafuri's partner, un." He rolled his eyes. "Anything she says goes. Hatafuri gets her whatever she wants, un."

"They together?"

"Probably. But it's not my business, un. So, about that shower..."

"That means I have to take my clothes off in front of you." Suddenly, she was feeling very self-conscious. She looked away feebly, her heart racing.

"Iie," Deidara assured her, "there's a wall between each stall. Each one is seperate, un. I won't see anything, and neither will anyone else."

Ino looked back into Deidara's visible eye and studied it. She cuspsed his face in her hands and studied it, searching for something. Such pretty eyes, such beautiful hair...Ino sighed. "I trust you, so fine."

Deidara smiled and sat upright, pulling her up along with him. He collected her pack and rummaged through it, pulling out velvet pajamas that were blue and decorated with yellow stars and crescent moons. "Here, I bought you some pj's, un." He handed them to her, throwing the pack aside.

"When did you buy these?" Ino asked as she studied the pajamas, flipping them over, feeling the velvet.

Deidara smiled again. "When you were trying out other outfits, un. Thought you could use something nice to sleep in."

"Oh, arigato." She hugged him, then realized she didn't want to let go. "Hmm," she exhaled onto his chest, "I just realized how much I want you to hold me right now," she murmured.

"Un," Deidara agreed softly, holding her close. "We don't go now, un, and we won't be able to at all. The others usually steal all the good ones, and we have to squeeze you in..." Ino decided not to think he was hinting she was really dirty.

She sighed then, backed off him. "Okay," she began as she stood, "bring me." Deidara nodded and unlocked the bedroom door, peering outside. He nodded, then continued. Ino quickly followed after him, whispering, "Why are we sneaking, Dei?" She held the bundle of pajamas close to her. The chill in the halls was worse than that of the room.

"The other members, un," Deidara whispered back as he peered around another corridor. "They're cranky and selfish at night," he explained as they continued on. "Especially Hidan, un. We run into him, there's no way he'll let us continue. Not unless we...offer him something, un."

"Offer him what?" She asked, genuinely curious.

Deidara smiled, stopped, turned to her, and answered, "Something you're not ready to give away yet, un." She stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Before she could say anything, though, he continued on. Ino quickly followed after him, afraid of getting lost, alone in the labrynth that was the Akatsuki headquarters.

"Dei," Ino quietly began, "have you ever gotten lost down here?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. I got used to it, though, un. After a while, it'll come to you."

The stifling darkness all around them was enough to squash Ino alive, and yet it didn't. It lurked in the background, waiting for the perfect oppertunity to strike. Perhaps it was because Deidara was there - a beacon of light in the darkness, blinding it, keeping it at bay. For some reason, without fail, everything was better when Deidara was around. "Dei," Ino choked, "why's it so damn dark? And so lifeless?"

"We're underground, un. And Kakuzu says we don't have enough funds for proper lighting. Usually we use a jutsu, but I guess Hatafuri-san decided not to activate it tonight, un..." He stopped at a door and opened it, peeking his head inside. Water was running, and Deidara slipped inside, closing the door behind him before Ino could follow. About a minute later, he returned and motioned for her to come inside.

Inside, there was a completely different atmosphere than in the halls. There was light illuminating the room, for one, and it was also warmer from the steam of the shower. There were nine stalls on the left side of the very large room, each looking very concealing. "Who's in the shower?" Ino whispered into Deidara's ear, cusping her free hand in front of her mouth as though afraid the person showering would hear her.

"Konan, un," Deidara murmured in reply, "The blue-haired kunoichi."

"Oh," Ino nodded in recognition, "Okay."

They moved off to their chosen stalls, Ino's to the right of Konan's, and Deidara's to the right of hers. "Anything you need," Deidara began, "is probably already there, un. If you _do _need something, ask." Ino nodded and ventured into her stall. She locked the door behind her.

Inside, she found the little stall to be very nice indeed. The stall was divided in two; the immediate stall she'd walked into had a bench on the left for belongings, as well as a hook on the right-hand wall and back of the door. An opaque shower curtain hung between the stal halves, along with a small ledge that signified the beginning of the shower. Ino placed her pajamas on the bench an pushed aside the curtain seperating the two stalls.

The walls of the showers stopped short about two inches up, right where her ankles were. And, as Deidara had promised, there were shampoos of all kinds between the stalls, lying on their backs or sharing two stalls. There were half-circles connected to the far wall and either side of the stall, containing a different soap.

"How's it going Ino, un?" Deidara called, causing her to jump a little. Water poured out of his shower then.

"Fine, fine! Just...looking around!" She pulled off her clothes quickly, throwing them onto the bench beside her pajamas. She ventured into the shower and of the stall, pulling the curtain closed behind her. The single knob between the showerhead and soap stood before her, half to the left red and the half to the right blue. Ino turned the knob right halfway, but nothing happened. "Um, Dei?"

"Un?"

"How's the shower work? The knob?"

"Turn it and push it in, un." Ino followed his directions, and water shot out of the showerhead. Ino gratefully untied her hair, wraping the tie around her wrist. For a while she just stood there, smiling like a madwoman as the water coarsed down her body.

All was quiet for a while before Konan spoke. "Ino-chan...do you have my clothes?"

"Nani?! Dei, those were _hers_?!"

"Well, you couldn't possibly expect my clothes to fit you so tightly, un. And yes, Konan-san, I have them for you. I'll give them to you tomorrow, un."

"Arigato, Deidara." Konan thanked him.

Ino ran her fingerds through her hair briefly, then looked down at the collection of shampoos at Konan's side. "Konan-sama, can I use one of these shampoos?"

"You needn't call me 'sama', Ino-chan. And yes, feel free."

"Arigato." She picked up an orange bottle and squeezed most of its contents out onto her hair. When she felt the cold of it on her scalp, she closed the cap and replaced the bottle, quickly mushing up her hair to save as much of the shampoo as possible. She stepped away from the warm water and lathered the shampoo into her hair and ran her fingers through her hair. Once satisfied, she returned to the water and rinsed out the shampoo. It snaked out of her hair, down her body, and onto the floor of the shower where it left down the drain. Satisfied, she turned to her two soap options, took both in each hand and sniffed first the left, then the right. The first smelled like Deidara, and the second smelled very strongly of coconut. For a little variety, she chose the latter, applying it over her body. She let it sit on her skin for a momeny, enjoying the comforting feel. After a moment, she washed off the soap and turned the water off. Konan's shower was already off, along with Deidara's. "Dei?" Ino called out, afraid of being left alone. Her heart raced.

"Un?" Deidara replied from his stall.

Ino's heart slowly calmed. "I-I need a towel." She pulled the curtain back and stepped out of the shower.

"There isn't one on the bench, un?"

Ino looked down to it. Right there, beside her clothes, was a neatly folded, black towel. "O-oh, yeah!" She vageuly wondered why she hadn't noticed the towel before, but pushed the thought down as she picked the towel up and buried her face into the dry fabric. She resurfaced, then continued to dry herself off. After this, she put her underwear back on - although she _really _didn't want to - and put the pajamas on over that. She collected her things, unlocked the stall, and met Deidara on the other side, who was brushing through his hair whilst wearing nothing but boxers.

"Oh, hey, Dei." Ino murmured, inwardly groaning. Her eyes lustfully took in every inch of the exposed skin, her mouth starting to water. His boxers were all black, with the red Akatsuki cloud right in the middle. Naughty scenes of her jumping him, locking her lips onto his, flashed through her mind. She heard a female groan aloud, but didn't realize it was her.

"What, Ino?" Deidara asked, looking up to her from the depths of his hair. She couldn't pull her eyes away from his boxers. Deidara chuckled and wraped his arms around her, pulling her close. She grunted again, gently apologized. "Don't," Deidara whispered in her ear, "I like you better like this, un." Next thing she knew, she was against a wall, and Deidara was nibbling at her neck and earlobe lustfully, kissing every inch of skin he could see. Her clothes were on the floor, and her arms wraped themselves around his neck. Deidara's lips smiled against her skin, and he suddenly thrust forward. Ino hissed air in through her teeth, the sensations almost deadly.

"Deidara," the voice of Konan called from the direaction of the stalls, "are you unable to see that Ino-chan is weak? She is not strong enough to handle that."

"Interrupted again, un." Deidara whispered as he back off and returned to tending his hair. "Gomenasai, Konan-san."

Konan nodded and continued to dry off, and said to Ino, "You should continue to finish up, Ino-chan. Quickly - the rest of the Akatsuki usually come for their shower around this time." Ino nodded and took the brush from Deidara when he was finished with it and combed through her hair. After she got most of it dry, she retrieved her clothes from the floor and nodded to Deidara.

"We're leaving, un." Deidara announced. Konan nodded, and the two of them left the showers.

At their room, Deidara allowed Ino in first, then followed, locking the door shut behind them. He gently pulled Ino onto his bed with him and held her tight, burying his face in her hair. "You're hair is so _long, _un..." he murmured, "pretty." She had forgotten to tie it back. Deidara ran his fingers through her hair and sighed, "Oyasuminasai, Ino."

"Oyasuminasai," she murmured in reply, but found Deidara to have already fallen asleep.

* * *

**A/n**

_**Translations: **_

**Sensei - Can be used for doctors as well as teachers. **

**Minamadeiuna - Stop what you're saying**

**Iie - No**

**Bishie - Pretty Boy**

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Oro - Huh?**

**Gomen - Sorry **

**Oyasuminasai - Goodnight **

**Arigato - Thank you **

**Hai - yes, right **

**Danna - Master **

**Okay, I need honest opinions on this chapter! Was it too fast-paced, too graphic, not graphic enough...? Please tell me - I need to know!!! **


	5. Day 7

**Chapter 5**

Ino awoke the next morning, feeling more refreshed - more _hopeful_ - than she ever had before. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Deidara's cherubic face, his strawberry-clay breath gently cascading down onto her face, her neck. A peaceful look graced his features, his slightly-open mouth drooling a little at the left corner. Ino's heart fluttered, and dangerous tingles of pleasure ran though her body. Warmth engulfed her, and she realized Deidara had held her close all night, like a precious doll.

Deidara snored lightly, moistened his mouth a little in his sleep. A blush shaded Ino's face a deep scarlet when he murmured, "Art's a bang, un...Ino, I could just bang you..." She vaguely wondered just what he was dreaming.

Ino watched him sleep for a while longer, her face creeping closer and closer to his. She rested the tips of her fingers on his soft cheek and, carefully, planted her lips on his. Her eyes closed and her mouth watered. Deidara let out a large breath, and his arms moved, hands entangling themselves in her hair. The mouths on his palms actually opened, licking her scalp and kissing her hair. Ino opened her eyes and was not surprised to be staring back into Deidara's. He backed off her, disentangling his right hand from her hair to brush her bangs behind her ear. "Well, well, well," Deidara began cheerfully, "what a good way to start the morning, un."

"Deidara," Ino blushed, setting her gaze on the pillow they shared, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - "

"What are you talking about, un? I loved it." He kissed the nape of her neck, causing her to go limp in ecstacy. Shikamaru was her first love, but Deidara was _so _much better...

Deidara took back his other hand and rolled on top of her, planting another kiss on her lips. He nibbled at her bottom lip, but she didn't understand. He bit down again, this time drawing blood. Ino let out a childish whine, and Deidara backed off, looking down on her. "That...was...completely adorable, un." He murmured. She pouted, looked away, and sent Chakra to her lip, healing it as fast as it had come. She looked back to Deidara, who was staring down at her, mouth agape.

"N-nani?" Ino asked, her face burning with the embarrasment of being stared at.

"Did you just heal yourself, un?" He asked, his voice racked with astonishment.

"What of it? I was the second best medic-nin in Konoha, only to Haruno Sakura."

Deidara's visible eye widened. "Perfect! Do you know how long Hatafuri-san has been trying to employ a medic-nin, un? And one stumbled into the group! Now you've definitely got a secured place, un!" He happily jumped off her and the bed and threw his uniform on, along with the Akatsuki cloak. _Wait, _Ino thought as she watched Deidara, _he had his shirt off all this time?! _She mentally smacked herself.

Ino sat upright on the bed, trying to stretch and yawn the feelings away. She stood then, collecting her pack. "Which outfit should I wear?" She wondered aloud.

"The one with the mesh cuplings that shows a lot of skin, un." Deidara answered with a smile.

Ino nodded and plucked out the necessities, laying them on Deidara's bed. The other outfit, and other set of undergarments, were placed beside today's outfit. Clasping her pack shut, Ino ushered Deidara out of their room, locking the door shut behind him. "Stay right there!" She commanded, "I'll be right out!"

"Un." She heard Dediara answer. Quickly, Ino removed her pajamas and previous underwear and put them in seperate piles - the pajamas on the bed, the underwear under it. She then threw on her undergarments, followed by her middrift and skirt. The mesh cuplings followed; one on each knee and elbow. Tying back her hair with the tie she had around her wrist, Ino slung her pack over her shoulder. She was ready.

Ino opened the door to see Deidara waiting for her, just as he had 'promised.' He leaned up against the wall to her right, his right foot on the wall. He looked very alluring, somewhat of a badass. She mentioned this quietly as they made their way down the hall. Looking over at him, she noticed he'd already tied his beautiful hair back.

Deidara smiled at her 'compliment.' "Arigato. I don't normally do that, though, so don't get too used to it, un."

"I like Deidara the Artist better than Deidara the Badass anyway," she told him. Deidara wraped an arm around her waist, pulled her close. He let her go, however, before they made themselves visible to the rest of the Akatsuki. Ino understood. Their relationship, if that was what it was, was to remain a secret from the Akatsuki for as long as possible.

They made themselves visible to the rest of the Akatsuki, and Ino realized two things: the first being that they were at the meeting table she had seen yesterday, and the second being that there was room for only one more person. Deidara took his spot by Sasori, and there was no room left for her. "Oh, erm..." The Akatsuki turned to face her, and her face blushed red with embarassment. She put her hand behind her head in a feeble attempt to feel less nervous.

"Here," Deidara said as he scooted aside, closer to Sasori, creating a gap for her between he and Itachi. _Uchiha Itachi, _her conscience whispered, _the brother of Uchiha Sasuke, and the murderer of the entire Uchiha clan. The only other Uchiha alive. _Her heart raced with anxiety - she kept her gaze down at her folded hands that lay on her lap. Being an ANBU, she had learned all about the Uchihas. She knew how powerful Itachi was, and he was not someone she ever wanted to disrespect. "Something wrong, un? You seem uptight."

"Oh no," Ino laughed weekly, "I'm fine." She gave a fake smile, but believed it as much as Deidara seemed to. _Every single one of the men here, _she reminded herself, _are professional murderers.  
__  
Even Deidara, _a little voice whispered.

_Deidara would never hurt me, _she told the voice, _he loves me. _

_He never said that. _

_Actions are stronger than words. _

_Based on his actions, you're his dirty little secret. _

_Shut up, _she commanded. The voice silenced.

Deidara set a plate full of food in front of her. He took his seat again with his own plate. Ino looked around and realized the rest of the Akatsuki had a plate of food as well. Deidara noticed her curiosity and told her, "It's breakfast time, un. Hatafuri-san _told _us to get a plate."

"H-he did? I didn't notice." _'Cause I was fighting myself, _she added mentally.

"Sasori-danna said these are your pills for today, un." Deidara changed the subject, handing her a little paper cup with three different pills inside. "One for the UTI, one for the anemia, and the anti-depressent." Ino nodded glumily and took the cup from him, picking one pill at a time and swallowing them seperately. She broke apart her chopsticks and took a bite of her dango and daikon, muttering a small "Itadakimasu," as she did so. Deidara did the same, and soon the rest of the Akatsuki was eating. There was light conversation going on around her, but she paid no mind.

"Kisame-san and Itachi-san are going on a mission today," Deidara began, "so I'll be teaching you how to swim and your session with Sasori-danna will be doubled. Hatafuri-san said I couldn't teach your sparring techniques because I'd go too easy on you, un."

Ino nodded. Double time with Sasori wouldn't kill her, and she'd see Deidara twice. Easy stuff.

Before Hidan and Kakuzu's sessions were included into the equation, that is. At a quick glance, these two Akatsuki seemed cruel and unforgiving. She caught Kakuzu's gaze, and his emerald eyes intensified with some sort of malice. The yaoi couple had not forgotten her reaction to their scene four days ago.

"And...will Kakuzu and Hidan be teaching me as well?" She choked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Hai. You sure you're okay, un? You've gone white."

"Fine," she croaked, her voice crackling with anxiety. "Dei, where will you be?"

"With you, of course. I'm going to all of your sessions with you, un."

Ino could've forced a tight hug with the blonde as she kissed him just then. If she did. Instead, her heart instantly began to slow at his promise, and she exhaled deeply. "Arigato, Dei. I don't think I could make it otherwise."

"I'm responsible for you, un. I have to make sure you take your medication and don't have a reaction or anything. It's not that hard to be around you anyway, un. I'll be able to get to know you better." He finished with a smile, causing Ino's heart to stop. _So beautiful, _she thought. She felt terribly honored, knowing that he was interested in her and wanted to get to know her better.

"What's my schedule?" She asked.

"I already talked to Hatafuri-san about it, and he told me that Kisame-san's course would be first, then Sasori-danna's, mine, Itachi-san's, Hidan-san's, and Kakuzu-san's, un. Since Kisame-san and Itachi-san are leaving on a mission, you'll be training with me first, then a double-block of Danna's. Mine will be after that, then Hidan-san's and Kakuzu-san's, un. You'll collapse by the end of the day."

"But you'll catch me?"

"Un." Deidara confirmed firmly, smiling. "Now eat." Ino nodded and happily devoured the rest of her breakfast. Her first lession would be with Deidara, and it was how to swim. That meant she'd get to see Deidara in nothing but his boxers, _and _he'd be wet, letting his hair down. Ino's heart raced with anticipation, and she found herself wolfing down the rest of her dango and daikon.

She finished soon after and pushed the used plate and chopsticks to the side a little. "Done, un?" Deidara asked. She looked over and gave a happy nod. Deidara took her plate in one hand, his in the other, and stood. Ino followed, curious.

Deidara brought the plates to another room that looked like a pantry - cupboards and shelves to the left, sink and dishrack to the right. The far wall was host to more cupboards and shelves, on which plates were situated. Deidara moved off to the sink, where he washed their plates and chopsticks. "I could've done mine," Ino offered, embarassed to have stood there while he worked.

He smiled and replied, "It's not that hard, un. I don't mind." He turned the faucet off and flicked water from his hands onto her. "Now let's go swimming, un!" He happily ushered her out of the pantry.

Kisame and Itachi had stood and were making their way over to Ino and Deidara. As they approaced, Kisame spoke. "Eh, Deidara, don't spoil her while I'm gone. I'll be back tomorrow, so make sure you teach her _something_." Dedara nodded.

Ino couldn't take her eyes off Itachi's Sharingan-bearing ones. He looked down on her, a neutral espression on his face. His raven hair was tied back, and his Akatsuki cloak was opened two buttons, revealing a purple uniform underneath. His left arm was resting on the buttons lazily, and Ino noticed that his fingernails were purple as well. She returned her gaze to his face and noticed that he still wore Konoha's forehead protector, but had sliced it horizontally across the Leaf symbol. She realized, then, that Deidara and Kisame had as well. Thinking about it, she remembered that Hidan, Kakuzu, and Konan's were the same. Sasori and Zetsu were the only members that didn't show their former village's headband.

Water from the sink behind her diverted her attention, as she broke out of her reverie and looked over her shoulder. Kisame was washing his and Itachi's plates. Ino returned her gaze to Itachi, but he was no longer there.

Deidara took her hand and pulled her away as she frantically looked around for the missing Uchiha. "Where'd he go?" She whispered when they were out of earshot.

"He does that a lot, un." Deidara told her, "You were staring awfully hard, you know."

"I knew his brother," she murmured. "I'm from Konoha, remember?"

"Keep that to yourself, un," he adivsed, "Itachi-san thinks all nin from Konoha should be as great as he. You'll only make it harder on yourself if he finds out, un."

He brought her through the labrynth of the Akatsuki base, going through doors, around corridors. When Ino was certain they were going around in circles, Deidara opened a door and pulled her inside, closing the door behind them. Ino looked around, astonished at her new surroundings. They were now outside, to the left of a small waterfall. It seemed rocky, but it was surrounded with trees, a small meadow, and a natural beach composed of tree roots, small rocks, and actual soil. There was a small rock ledge directly to the left of the water, one that was easily accessable. "It's beautiful," she gaped, "Is this all natural?"

"Un," Deidara confirmed with a small nod. "We removed boulders that were under the waters of the pool that the waterfall emptied into, making it about twenty feet deep in the center, though. Other than that, everything's purely nature, un. Now, go behind those trees and change. I'll wait here, un." He'd already taken his cloak off, and was working on his shoes and pants.

"O-oro?"

"You heard me. Go. And don't keep me waiting, un." Ino quickly ran behind a cluster of trees and began to take her clothes off. She stuffed her outfit into her bag and swapped it for her bathing suit. Quickly, she swapped her underclothes for her bathing suit.

Deidara jumped down in front of her just as she was pulling her bikini top over her head. Deidara smiled visciously, but she squeaked in embarased fright and quickly covered herself. "Go away, Dei!" She shouted, her face burning.

Deidara's intense smile didn't fade. "You were taking _forever_, un. I was done ten minutes ago." He pinned her against a tree and kissed her neck. She grunted and felt her muscles first tense, then begin to loosen. In reply, Deidara nibbled her earlobe, flicking his tongue out behind it. This time, her arms left their protective position, revealing her, and wrapped around Deidara's shoulders. Unconsciously, her fingers traced along muscles on his back. _Not very defined, but a little muscle...s_he thought. Without breaking his focus on her earlobe, Deidara put her bikini top on in its proper place and tied it behind her back. He backed off and studied her body. "There! All finished, un."

Ino battled with her legs to stay standing.

"C'mon, let's go swimmin', un!" Deidara grabbed her hand and pulled her along, down the small slope of roots, and to the water. Ino stopped fast. Deidara, having gotten only his feet wet, pulled her arm. She didn't budge. "What's wrong, Ino?"

"Dei, I can't swim."

"At all, un?"

"Not at all." She took her arm back and held it close, as if putting a barrier between the water and herself.

"Okay, un. Take my hand. I'll make sure you're okay, un."

"Chigri?"

"Chigri." He motioned for her to come on, and she nervously gave her hand back. He gently took hers in his and pulled her close. Wraping his other arm around her waist, Deidara pulled her close. "It's not so bad," he promised, "you'll see, un."

They took a few steps into the water so that it was up to her ankles. The water flowed past her, to her left, and down a stream further down. She wiggled her toes a little. "See?" Deidara coaxed her as they took another step in, "It's not so bad, un." She clinged tightly to him as they continued on into the water. When it was up to her waist, Deidara stopped. "Here'll do." He told her. She clung to him so tightly he squeaked when he spoke. "Ino, you have to let go, un."

"Demo - "

"I've got you, Ino. I won't let you go, un. Chigri." Ino nodded and relaxed, letting go of him completely, save for his hand. That she squeezed tighter than she thought possible. The mouth on his palm cried out a little, and she relaxed only a bit. "We're going to learn how to float first, un." Ino nodded, but didn't move. "You're going to have to let my hand go." Deidara told her. Without realizing it, her hand completely relinquished his. "Sit." Deidara instructed. Ino's numb legs complied. He followed after her, only, he stayed on his knees. "Okay, lay back, un."

"Nani?"

"You trust me, right?" Ino looked into his eyes and studied them briefly before giving a firm nod. Deidara rested his hands on her back, still beside her. "Okay. Lie back, un." Ino didn't hesitate. She felt his hands on her back, holding it up. "Relax - I've got you. To float, you have to relax all your muscles, un. _Relax_." His comforting voice _was _relaxing her; she felt the water flow underneath her. "Good!" Deidara nodded. "Now," he began, quickly pulling his hands out from underneath her, "you're floating, un."

Ino panicked a little when he let her go, but it wasn't as bad as she had thought. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. Deidara held her hand, but she hardly took notice. "Nice," she murmured.

"Now," Deidara began as he pulled her close, causing her side to bump into his waist. She opened her eyes, standing. "Twenty minutes free time, un!" Still holding her hand, he ran out of the water and said, "Go put your clothes on!" He pushed her off in the direction of her clothes. She stumbled a bit, but moved off.

She changed her clothes quicker than before - which she found amazing - and, carefully hanging her bikini halves on a low tree branch, made to emerge from the trees, pack in hand.

Only to have Deidara jump down in front of her again. "Do you watch me from up there, Dei?"

"Perhaps." Deidara answered, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Ino frowned. "What are you thinking?"

"How beautiful you are, un. And how beautiful you looked in the water. And you did such a good job, un, I wanna reward you."

"With what?"

"Me, of course." He was on her before she could blink, pushing her to the meadow's floor whilst nibbling on her lower lip. _Why does he keep doing that? _She asked herself. Deidara bit down on her lip and pulled away a little, causing her to wince and moan in pleasure. "Ino," Deidara singsonged her name, "why won't you open your mouth for me?" he whined.

"Oh, that's what you wanted?"

Deidara smiled and planted his lips on hers again, tugging at her lower lip the way she loved. She happily opened her mouth, and his tongue rushed inside, exploring the newfound area. His tongue soon knew every detail of her mouth. After learning her mouth's geography, Deidara sent his tongue to meet hers. Deadly shivers went up and down her spine, and she arched upwards, wraping her arms around his neck needfully, untying his hair and burying her hands in it, grasping at the roots just as needfully. She held him close to her, trying to get him to do more.

In response, Deidara's tongue buried itself unders hers and flicked away from her mouth, towards his. Ino slowly followed his instructions, venturing out of her own mouth and into his. All the while, his tongue receded into his own mouth, flicking the bottom of hers. Once she entered his mouth, he greeted her warmly, spurring her on. Soon, she knew every part of his mouth. His molars had never come in, but other than that, his mouth was perfect.

They broke their kiss, and Ino gulped in air. She panted in the oxygen, and realized Deidara was doing the same. He caught his breath before she did and moved to her neck. "See, Ino," he began, biting down on her neck and drawing blood, "with you," he licked away the blood, "I get carried away." He kissed where he had bitten her, as if apologizing. "Usually," he began again, nibbling her earlobe, "I'd be done already, un. But with you," he shook his head, "I'd rather go slow."

_More? _Ino thought weakly, _but I'm tired now..._ This had completely drained her - she wouldn't be able to handle much more. She was still sick. "Dei?" Deidara stopped and looked into her eyes. She shook her head. "No more, onegai. I'm tired."

Deidara nodded and, slipping off her, helped her up. Ino leaned against him, wraping her right arm around his waist. "Gomen," he apologized, wraping his left arm around her waist. They returned to the Akatsuki lair, and Deidara leaded her to Sasori's room.

"It's not you," Ino told him as he retrieved her pack. "Arigato," she murmured as he swung it over his free shoulder. "Anyway, it isn't you. I can't handle too much at once right now. If anything, I should apologize."

Deidara shook his head. "I'm rushing you, un."

"It's your style, and I like it. When I'm all better, you can go as fast as you want."

Deidara fell silent for a long while. They broke their 'hug' when he opened the door to the Akatsuki base, and their silence broke as well. "Sasori-danna's session is next, un."

"You'll be with me?"

"Un."

The silence fell again, and Ino wanted more than anything to say something, anything, but her vocabulary had been stolen. _He's probably just dissapointed that I stopped him, _she reasoned. _Oh well. I'll make it up to him later. _She decided to make her next lesson with the blonde worthwhile.

Deidara stopped and knocked on a door to Ino's right. "Danna?" There was some small acknowledgement, and Deidara entered, motioning to Ino to do the same.

Inside, to the right, was Sasori, sitting at a small worktable and carefully working on a puppet. Deidara took a seat on the bed opposite, and Ino followed. He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close. Grateful for the attention, she leaned into it.

"Ino," Sasori began as he wiped off his hands on an apron around his waist, "Deidara tells me you already know some medic skills." He stood and turned to face her.

"When do you get the time to tell everyone everything?" She asked Deidara, backing off to look him in the eye.

Deidara gave a cheesy smile. "When you're not paying attention." She found his response highly suspicious, but didn't bother questioning him further.

"I researched your background information," Sasori answered as he leaned up against his work table with a fold of his arms, "and my sources reveal that you were the second-best medic-nin in all of Konohagakure. If people couldn't get in touch with Haruno Sakura, they went to you. But, my reports say that came to an abrupt halt five years ago." Ino nodded. "Nonde?"

Ino hesitated, then decided to tell him. She exhaled deeply, then began, "My 'boyfriend' was murdered when he protected the Hokage from an assasination attempt. The guy wasn't actually a boyfriend, though - to him was a strategic way of getting back at his fiancée. I was shocked when he was murdered. I buried myself in my room for three days, barely eating or drinking anything. Eventually depression took me, and that's when I became ANBU, about four weeks after he died."

"Naara Shikamaru, correct?" Ino winced at the name, but nodded. "The previous bearer of the fox mask as well, I believe?" Another nod. "He was a chunin, and the best strategist my sources have ever seen. Leader of his squad, and very reputable at mind battles. That was _my _original motive for sparing you - I thought you were Shikamaru. Deidara and I hadn't been at the base for a while, and I was unable to check into my resources. I didn't want to see any strategic games, so I avoided it with a strategy of my own."

"Then we brought you here and removed the mask, un. But we still couldn't be certain that you were Naara - we'd never seen a picture of his face - and so we had to wait for you to wake up, un." Deidara put in.

"And imagine my surprise when you said your name was Ino," Sasori said glumily.

"I was happy you were you, un!" Deidara told her, but she ignored him. Slowly, pieces of the puzzle began to fit into place.

"That's why I sat behind you," Sasori told her, "to attack if you _were _Naara."

Ino hardly took in any of the small information as the larger bits came into the light. "Your resources," she began, staring Sasori in the eye, "they were from Suna, right?" Sasori hesitated, then nodded. "Three? Stationed _in _Konoha?" This nod was one of surprise. Ino sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked down a little. "Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari - the Kazekage's heirs. They were your resources, right?"

"Just how much do you know, Ino?" Sasori asked as he flipped his chair around and sat down, resting his arms and head on the back of it.

Ino looked up again. "Temari was Shikamaru's fiancée. I'm guessing - and correct me if I'm wrong - that the assasination attempt on the Hokage was planned by you," -Sasori nodded--"and that the Suna-nin were behind it."

"It was Hatafuri's scheme, actually. I was just following orders."

Ino nodded. "And Shikamaru got in the way. You couldn't get in contact with the Suna-nin, so you thought he was still on your tail. And then you stumbled across me..." Her voice drifted off in thought. "Who was sent to assasinate the Hokage?"

"It was Temari, if memory serves."

"They were with the Akatsuki, Temari was with Shikamaru...Did you allow that?"

"We didn't want to, un." Deidara told her, "Naara was at the top of our list. We kill him, we break Konoha's militial intelligence, un. But there was no stopping Temari."

"I think she knew Shikamaru was cheating on her - that he was taking me to the festival. She knew Shikamaru as well as I did, and so she knew the perfect way to 'accidentally' murder Shikamaru. They're both strategists, so with Temari, anything's possible. Of course, this last bit is nothing but speculation..." She let the topic drop to think, then gasped at the new revelation. "Maybe Temari had planned this from the beginning! Maybe she got close to Shikamaru and _let _him cheat in order to gain information. When the information stopped proving useful, or when instructed, she planned everything out to make it seem like a heroic act for Shikamaru."

Sasori nodded at this. "The latter seems most likely. Although we had never seen his face, we knew Naara Shikamaru was a threat to us. I was ordered to tell my subordinates to gather as much information possible, then kill him. I sent those orders out shortly before he died."

"Wow," Ino breathed, "poor Shika-Shika."

"Temari is definitely a good little kunoichi, though." Sasori murmured, "Deidara, send a bird for me, will you? I think it's time we arrange a meeting."

"Shouldn't we inform Hatafuri-san first, un?" Ino was surprised that Deidara has second thoughts against his 'Danna.'

"Hn. Fine, go tell him first. Ino and I will wait here." Deidara looked over to Ino for a moment, then nodded and left. Sasori waited for about twenty seconds before he stood, flipped the chair towards the worktable, and sat down again, his back to her. He began work on a puppet, and for a while the only sound in the room was the _clinks _and _chinks _of metal against wood. After a while, Sasori spoke. "You're smart, Ino. You pieced together our 'plot' in about five minutes with minimal input from either me or Deidara. However, that's only halfway."

"Oro?" Now she was interested in hearing the rest of the Akatsuki's plans.

Sasori chuckled. "But who am I kidding? I'm an old man - older than your father."

"That's debatable," Ino murmured.

"Deidara tells me you thought I hated you." Ino had no reply, since that was exactly what she originally believed. "I didn't," he assured her, "I was dissapointed."

_What a difference, _she thought. Instead, she replied, "Gomen." With a roll of her eyes.

A thought hit her then. "What about moving out of Deidara's room?" She asked. To this she was rewarded with no answer.

Another thought came to her then, and she changed the subject. "Orochimaru used to be a part of this orginization, right?"

"Hai."

"Do you still support him?"

"We're in a mutual alliance with Oto, yes. But we had nothing to do with his attacks on Konoha and all affiliated."

"I see. What is the Akatsuki planning now?"

"That's confidential. Sorry, but we don't trust you enough to tell you. At least, not yet anyway. Eventually you'll become some sort of affiliate, if not a complete member, and we'll tell you then. All in good time, Ino."

_He sounds like an old man, _Ino thought as she fell back on Sasori's bed, _one that knows what his grandchild wants to know, but doesn't want to give it up. How annoying. _

_On the other hand, _she contradicted herself, _he said I have a chance of becoming a complete member. At least, he hinted it..._"Sasori," she began, "would you want me to be a member?"

Sasori took a moment to think, then answered, "We could use a nin like you. I think you possess great potential."

Deidara returned. "I'm back, un! I sent out the bird, Danna."

"You told Hatafuri?"

"Un." Deidara gently took Ino's hand and pulled her to her feet. He took her pack off and let it drop to the floor beside them. Sitting down on Sasori's bed, he pulled Ino down so that she was sitting on his leg. He pulled her close, so that her back was against his chest, and buried his face into her neck. _So much for being upset, _Ino thought as she fought down a grunt of pleasure building in her throat. She couldn't fight it, so she settled for clearing her throat.

Sasori looked over his shoulder, as though expecting something to be said, and gave a crooked smile. "Cute. But not in my bed. Go." Ino stood and collected her bag. Deidara followed. "Ino," Sasori called as he turned back to his worktable, "tomorrow we will begin your actual training." Ino nodded, and she left with Deidara.

"My session is next, un!" Deidara told her happily.

"Wasn't I supposed to have Sasori doubled today?"

"He dismissed you early, un. We can do that, you know."

"So some days will be longer than others?"

"Yup!"

"You seem...very happy." _Understatement, _Ino thought as they walked through the halls.

"'Cause _I _get you now, un." He sounded mischevious - like he was plotting something.

"You seemed pretty upset when I told you to stop before."

"Oro? Oh, no - I was thinking of ways to slow it down a little, un. Very difficult."

A relief spread over Ino. "And you're happy because...?"

"Now I get you as long as I want, un." A blush spread over Ino's face. "Look - my studio." Deidara announced as he opened a door to his right.

"You have a studi - whoa." Ino broke her sentence in astonishement as she looked around. Deidara's studio was about the size of the meeting room, but had six tables, each with a different clay project stationed at it. To the left of the room were three large containers, which were filled to the brim with clay. Behind these were cupboards, cabinents, and shelves - all presumably filled with art material. "Wow," Ino breathed, "this is amazing."

"All the supplies an artist could ever need, un." Deidara answered as he closed the door. "Anyway, you're going to learn how to mold clay in my lessons!"

"Sounds exciting," she murmured as she moved over to the large bins of clay. She poked the clay in the bin closest to her.

"Careful with that," Deidara advised, right beside her, "that's my C4 clay, un."

"What's it do?"

"It's the one that makes the _really _big boom, un. It's safest to learn with the other two first." Ino nodded and moved to the middle bin, digging her fingers into the cool earthen material. "Take some, un." Deidara encouraged. She obeyed and took some. Deidara did the same, and they moved off to the nearest table. "Okay, first we have to get rid of air bubbles."

"How do we do that?"

Deidara smiled and threw his clay down onto the table, not very gently. "We throw it, un. This beats out any air." Ino smiled and followed his directions. "Fun, un?" Ino nodded and threw the clay down again. "The trick is to change the side that takes the impact each time you throw it down - that way every angle takes a hit." Ino did as directed. "Once that's done, you're ready to mold it into whatever you like, un." He took a seat, and Ino followed, sitting to his right.

"What do I do now?" She asked, blankly staring at the clay.

"You make something, un."

"What?"

"Anything. Whatever you want, un." Ino stared at it for a while longer, then started to flatten it out. "There's a rolling pin to your left, if you wanna use one, un."

Ino considered it for a moment, then, "No, Imma do it the hard way." She continued on with her work. "What are you making, Dei?" She looked over to him.

"A flower, un." He'd already made a small, spherical center and was beginning to work on petals. He dipped his hands into some murky water and said to her, "If the clay starts sticking to your fingers, wet them a little."

Ino nodded and turned back to her clay. It was getting a little dry. She dipped her fingers into the water, then continued on. Rolling it around her fingers, she realized she was drawing a complete blank. _What to make, _she thought to herself, _what to make? _"You may want to start with something simple, un." Deidara answered her thoughts. "Like a snowman or something." He paused, thinking. "No, snowman too advanced, un. Make a heart."

"A heart," Ino repeated, looking down on her clay. She nodded and began to flatten her clay again.

The two of them were silent as they worked. Deidara finished before she did and, standing, moved off to one of the cabinents and pulled out a plastic container with blue paint inside and a red top. He grabbed a cupfull of utensils as well, and returned. "Why blue?" Ino asked him.

"It's red after it gets fired, un." He explained, pointing to the cap. "It's for later, though - first the clay has to dry. That takes a few days, un."

Ino took a plastic knife from the cap and cut into the circle, changing it into a heart. "Can I fire mine too?"

"Of course. What color would you want, un?" He moved off to the cabinet where he had gotten his paint.

Ino thought for only a second before answering, "Yellow." She inscribed the kanji form of 'love' onto the middle of the heart.

"Nonde?" He asked as he returned with her color.

"Because..." She didn't know how to answer.

Deidara smiled as he put two-and-two together and finished, "Love is blonde." He gently took her chin in his hand and kissed her, more passionately than he ever had before. Ino took in a deep breath and clutched his cloak tightly. He brushed her hair behind her ear and pushed her down onto the bench of the table. "Un," he began, backing off her. Their breathing became uneven - they were breathing onto one another, trying to catch their breath. Deidara reached onto the table and grabbed some clay she had discarded and popped it into his mouth, lying down on her and burying his face into her neck.

"Dei?"

"Un?"

"You just ate that clay."

"Want some?" He moved so that he was looking into her eyes. She nodded, and he turned away.

"No," she said and he looked back to her, confused. She kissed him and nibbled his lower lip. He opened his mouth, and she sent in her tongue, taking the clay. "Hmm," she said as Deidara collapsed onto her in ecstacy, "it's popping in my mouth." Little, tiny explosions were setting themeslves off - like carbonated candy. "Hmm, want it back?"

He kissed her feebly, opening his mouth. She used her tongue to shove the clay back into his, and they broke away. "We taste good together, un." He murmured, burying his face in her neck again. "Un, that's how I wanna do it."

She knew what he meant. "In the rain," she contradicted with a shake of her head.

"Oro?" He asked, moving to look into her eyes.

Ino felt a blush coming on as she elaborated, "I've always wanted to...loose my virginity in the rain." She looked away, her face red with embarassment.

Deidara turned her face back to his gently. A smile played on his lips as he kissed her and said, "That could easily be arranged, un."

There was a knock at the door. "May I come in?" The voice of Sasori asked as he opened the door and walked inside. "Tsk," he said as he closed the door and approached, "Every time I turn around, brat. You don't want him Ino," Sasori adressed her, "push him away."

"Nah," Ino began as the two of them sat upright, "I like him here."

There was a silence as Sasori took a seat at the other side of the table. "Kakuzu and Hidan had to leave on a sudden mission. They won't be expected back for a few weeks, at least." Deidara just nodded, but Ino had to look away to hide her smile. _No boring math or religious crap for a few weeks! _She cheered in her conscience, causing a viscious smile to play at her lips. "It's actually quite annoying - they'll still be gone when I go to meet my resources. We won't be able to hold a proper meeting until they get back."

"Why not just have them come to you?" Ino asked, oblivious.

"Just a safety procaution - in case they decide to reveal our location. This way, they can't. They've never seen my face, etiher, so no one would believe them if they were to make their actions known," Sasori answered paitently.

_He's smart, _Ino thought, _a good planner. Moreso than I gave him credit for. Everything that happened...None of it was by chance, _Ino was suddenly amazed at the puppeteer's hidden genius. _No doubt the transformation of his body was no mistake, either. _She stared into Sasori's mercury eyes, more than amazed at his intelligence. "So she's free now?" Deidara asked, excitement rising.

"It would seem so, brat."

"What time is it, un?"

"Noon."

Deidara looked over to her, a smile tugging at his lips. "What do you wanna do, un?"

Ino thought for half a second before shouting, "I wanna go swimming!" She pumped her fists into the air in excitement, her heart racing.

"Oh, un?!"

"Yeah!"

Deidara took her hand and stood. "C'mon, Danna, let's go swimming!"

Sasori rolled his eyes. "I have better work I _should _be doing, you know..." Deidara grew a big puppy's pout, his eyes widdening and deepening in color. Sasori sighed at this. "Alright, fine. I'll go swimming with you."

"Yay!" Ino and Deidara shouted in unison, the perfect epitome of blondes. Deidara grabbed Sasori's hand in his free one and ran off. Ino, laughing, struggled to keep up. Her pack bounced against her back gleefully, and she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart.

She liked it better than the cold feeling of darkness.

"Where's your suit, Ino?" Deidara asked her as they ran.

"Hanging up in a tree outside, by the waterfall."

"Then you change there, un." He threw open a door and the three of them collapsed into the outdoors, the rushing water of the waterfall greeting them. "Go change!" Deidara ordered as he pulled himself and Ino to their feet. He pushed her toward her changing groove, and she jogged off toward it.

Her bikini top and bottom where hanging down from her tree, just as she had left them. By now, they were mostly dry, since she hadn't gotten very wet before. Carefully looking around the area and in the trees above, she studied the area for evidence of a peeking Deidara. Once satified, she began to undress and change into her bathing suit. When finished, she left her clothes behind the trees and returned to Sasori and Deidara. The former had taken his cloak off, discarding it over a tree branch, and taken a seat on a rock beside the waterfall, staring blankly at the water below.

_There's one missing, _she thought suspiciously. Before she had time to think, however, Deidara glomped her from behind, hugging her tightly. She shouted out in surprise, and Deidara laughed, moving in front of her. "Dei, you scared the hell outta me!" She accused, pouting as her heart slowly calmed.

The smile on Deidara's face didn't fade. "Gomen. I just love swimming, un. Add you and Sasori-danna, and my day is set."

Ino let a smile brighten her features. It felt good to have someone who enjoyed seeing her. She studied his body, enjoying the show. But something was there she hadn't noticed before; to the left of Deidara's chest, about two inches above the nipple, was a line of stitches, decorated a little with curvy lines. She frowned and asked him, "What's that?" She pointed to it.

"Nothing," Deidara answered, too quickly. "C'mon. Let's go swimming, un." She nodded, deciding not to press the matter. Taking her hand, Deidara walked her into the water slowly. She clung to him tighter and tighter as the water came higher and higher. They stopped whan it reached her collarbone, and she clung tightly to him, using both her arms and legs to make sure she didn't drown. "You're not going to learn by hanging on me, un."

Ino looked to Deidara, her reserve crumbling. She sent a silent plea to him through her eyes. "I guess so..." She murmured. Her left leg shifted a little from its lock across his waist. After a minute of mentally battling herself, she unlocked herself from Deidara completely. She managed to relax and float on her own, treading water.

"When you float, you should equally kick your arms and legs, un. It's easier to keep your head above water." Ino followed his instructions, and found her head able to stay above water. She nodded in agreement. "Relax, un. Just relax, and you'll be fine. Trust the water, and trust me, un." Ino nodded and attempted to relax her anxious muscles. "Okay, now you know how to tread water. Good. Now I'll teach you the freestyle stroke, un." She looked up to him, just now realizing that he was still standing. "You have to get both your arms and legs moving in synch, un."

There was a distant splash, and Sasori head appeared beside Deidara. Sasori stood, and Ino quickly followed. "Let's leave some for Kisame, brat." Sasori advised, "Today we relax." He let himself float, arms behind his head, and kicked his feet a little, barely moving.

"Aren't you made of wood?" Ino asked as she held her arms. She was getting colder by the minute.

"I put some waterproof tarnish on while you were changing." He gave her a look that said, _You should have been able to guess that._ "My joins are the only things really in danger - being metal - but Deidara knows what to do if I rust up."

"Un." Deidara answered with a nod. He looked over to her and observed, "You're cold."

She ducked down into the water, getting her wet completely. The water was warm, the air above was chilling. She returned, only enough so that her head was above weather. "It's freezing out," she agreed, "but the water's still warm...I wanna stay."

"You're lips are blue, un."

"Only because they're out of the water," she objected.

"We _should _get out," Sasori added, standing and looking up at the sky, "it's getting dark."

Ino looked up as well - the sun was about to set. "Wasn't it noon two minutes ago?"

"Time flies," Sasori answered in a soft voice that sounded more like rememberance than observation.

Ino studied the puppeteer for a moment before Deidara took her attention. "Let's watch the sunset, Ino!" He said to her, taking her hand and running over to the pool's beach. He climbed onto the rock jutting out beside the waterfall, helping her along. Once the both of them were seated, Ino leand her head on his shoulder, clinging tightly to him because of the cold, her hand still holding his. Her right foot dangled over the edge, and, without realizing it, had connected with Deidara's, her foot rubbing his. To her delight, he laid his head on hers. Blushing, Ino turned her attention to the beautiful sunset just overhead. It was beautiful, but her attention was focused more towards the blonde bishie leaning against her. To her surprise, her heart wasn't as frantic as it usually was around Deidara. _Perhaps it was the kiss I gave him earlier, _she thought, _perhaps it helped me to vent, which made me more comfortable with him. _She sighed and rubbed his hand with her thumb. The sunset taking place before them was beautiful, but she wanted to be with Deidara more.

The sun set, and Ino's heart found peace. The warm mass beside her was Deidara, and she was irrevocably in love with him.

Sasori left the water and put on some sort of metallic wings, then his pants, shoes, and cloak. Deidara backed off her, and the two of them left the rock, returning to the beach. Ino yawned and moved off to her tree cluster. She stripped out of her bikini, hanging each piece up, then changed into her normal clothes. She dragged her back along behind her as she returned to Sasori and the now-clothed Deidara. She'd never let her hair down that day, but was struck by the sudden urge to do so. With her free hand, she removed the tie holding it up. She yawned. Like the sun before her, she was tempted to sleep.

Deidara was tying his hair up the moment she fully approached. She inwardly groaned, preferring his hair down. He looked even cuter that way.

Ino stifled another yawn. She really _was _tired. "Bed." Sasori commanded. Ino nodded without conflict, and the three of them returned to the Akatsuki lair.

Sasori left them for his own room, and Deidara, arm draped over her shoulders, yawned. "Swimming is tiring, un."

"Yeah." Ino agreed with a nod, barely conscious enough to do so. "I'm exhausted." She leaned onto Deidara a little more, grateful to have his support.

"Gotta wake up early tomorrow," Deidara remonded her, "Tomorrow's when everyone comes back, un. And tomorrow Hatafuri-san wants to see your medic skills in action."

Ino's heart flipped over itself and jumped into her throat. "N-nani? Tomorrow? I haven't practiced in so long..." Her voice drifted off in nervous anxiety.

"You healed your lip like it was nothing, un. And without even realizing it, you healed the bite on your neck." Surprised, Ino stopped and felt the area where the bite was supposed to be. It wasn't there. "See? I have faith in your abilities, un. You'll do fine tomorrow. It's a simple assessment of how skilled you are currently, un. Nothing to worry about." He opened the door to their room, allowing Ino in to first. She nodded her thanks, then collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of exhaustion. The iron pill was fading out of her system, and a lethargic feeling was slowly creeping over her, especially at the joints. She sniffed in Deidara's sweet scent, sighing.

Deidara closed the door and locked it behind him. He approached her, briefly rubbing her back affectionately. "I'll sleep on the other bed, un." He moved off, and her heart slowly sank as she listened to him make himself comfortable on the other bed.

Ino was beyond words, she felt so weak. She wanted to move, but feared it would make her joints ache more than they did already. With a tremendous force of will, she forced herself out of Deidara's bed and onto the one he was on. She wouldn't force the bishie to sleep alone.

She felt Deidara turn to face her, but closed her eyes with a yawn. He wrapped his arms around her and, half asleep, she buried her face in his chest.

* * *

**A/n**

**Translations: **

**Nani - What? **

**Hatafuri - Leader**

**Dango & Daikon - Not nessecarily breakfast food, but traditional Japanese cuisene**

**Itadakimasu - I greatfully recieve **

**Chirgri - Promise **

**Demo - But**

**Onegai - Please **

**Gomen - Sorry (as opposed to Gomenasai, which means 'I'm very sorry') **

**Nonde - Why? **

**Hai - Yes, right, here **

**Danna - Master **

**Bishie - Pretty Boy**

**Okay, that's all! Long chapter, ne? Well, I try here, ya'know. I think maybe the last pool scene was superflouous, but whatever. My subconcious fangirl was squeeing with happiness, so I know I did a good job ;) Next chapter probably won't be in a while, 'cause I'm planning on making it longer than this one. Harder to imagine, huh? Well, it'll get done eventually :) R&R Please! **


	6. Day 10

**Chapter 6**

It had been three days since Ino's first lessons with Sasori and Deidara, and she was slowly beginning to learn her way along the Akatsuki base, along with what they were planning. Most things were kept from her, but of a few things she was certain; the Suna nin residing in Konoha were Sasori's spies, and the Akatsuki was planning total domination of all who opposed them. She wasn't sure about how that made her feel, but, seeing as she wasn't a member, her thoughts didn't matter. Although she tried to pry more information out of Sasori, the puppeteer refused to supply her with any further information. And since Sasori refused to talk, Deidara was fruitless as well, no matter what she tried.

In the end, Ino gave up on her information gathering and went back to being a good girl. She went through her days with Sasori and Deidara, not bothering to question them further. Over a period of three days, she learned how to properly mold clay, and was able to make small pots on her own. Sasori had taught her how to perfect her medic-nin skills, although there was scarce anything she couldn't already do. His training sessions mainly focused on poisons - how to make them, how to stop their spread through the body, and which canceled each other out. Everything there was to learn about poison, Sasori taught her. She enjoyed his lessons and learned quickly.

For three whole days, Ino felt her life was perfect. Although Konan and the leader were at the base, they never crossed her path, leaving her days completely alone with Sasori and Deidara. Her health was slowly increasing, and she found herself content with her new life.

But all good things must come to an end. For Ino, this came true when Uchiha Itachi and Hosigaki Kisame returned from their mission. Itachi was completely unharmed, but Kisame was riddled with shuriken, kunai, and various other things embedded in his skin. Ino saw this when she had walked into the Main Room, Deidara by her side, and stopped dead at the sight of the two rogue nin. To her surprise, it wasn't the Uchiha that had caught her attention - it was the very-wounded shark man.

He sat at the table, cloak and sword resting on its top. Her medic-nin skills kicked in, and she quickly approached, without invitation. "What happened?" She asked him, taking a hand impaled with a shuriken and studying it. Shuriken and kunai alike were sticking out of Kisame, causing Ino to turn a green color.

"Just got a little carried away," Kisame answered as he took his hand back. "I don't need your help," he grunted as he pulled the shuriken out with a wince.

"Don't -" Ino began, but it was too late. Kisame had already removed the shuriken and let it drop onto the table with a _plink. _Crimson blood leaked off the bloody shuriken and onto the table, causing Ino to go from a sickly green to a ghastly white. "Y-you're going to hurt yourself more that way," she persisted, "I could heal that properly for you..." Weakly, Ino held her hands in front of her, grasping one finger in the other hand, unsure of how to convince the ex-Kiri nin that she could heal him properly.

"Don't be a fool, Kisame." The Uchiha elder said to his partner, "Yamanaka Ino is the second-best medic-nin in all of Konohagakure." Ino's heart raced. _How long has he known? _She found herself asking.

"Fine," Kisame grumbled as he offered his wounded hand. Surprised, Ino took the hand and carefully studied it. Another centimeter back, and he would have lost the ability to move his middle and ring fingers.

"You nearly sliced through the tendons of your middle and ring fingers," Ino told him as she began the healing process, sending Chakra to the wound. There was two more in the same arm, two in the other, and five in the abdominal area. There was an open wound that was still bleeding, and bruises were everywhere. "What happened, exactly?" Ino asked as she moved to another wound, further up his arm.

"Ambush," Kisame mumbled, "But it's not your business, anyway."

_Evasive, _Ino thought, _like a trained dog. _She looked up briefly, noticing that the Uchiha had gone. Deidara was still there, seated at the far end of the table, examining the mouth on his left palm. "So," Ino began, carefully opening Kisame's wound to get the kunai out, "why are you so hurt when Uchiha-sama doesn't have a scratch on him?"

"We split up. Itachi-san was to infiltrate the place, and I was the distraction."

"Tsk," Ino adopted Sasori's way, "that's horrible."

"Yes, well...We got what we were assigned to obtain." This spiked Ino's interest, but she knew not to pry. Kisame was far from an accomplice, and, based on what he said before, he wasn't willing to give up information for her.

Having removed the shuriken in his arm and healed the wound, Ino moved to Kisame's shoulder, where a large kunai pierced straight through. "Ouch," Ino noted. Then to Deidara, "I'm going to need some gauze for this." Deidara nodded and left to retrieve what she needed. She turned back to Kisame and said, "Kisame-san, we need to get your shirt off, without moving these." Kisame nodded and handed her a bloody kunai she had already removed. Taking a slow breath, Ino used the bloodied kunai to cut off Kisame's shirt from around him.

After this was complete, Ino returned to the wound in Kisame's shoulder and slowly began to heal it. Deidara returned with a small medical pack, and Ino took it, expertly wrapping it around the wound. "You have to be careful with this," she warned, "otherwise it'll reopen." Kisame nodded, and Ino quickly healed the small cuts on his face. After that, she moved to the rest of his abdomen, which was bleeding the most. Carefully, Ino removed a kunai from between two of his ribs. Kisame grunted as the kunai was removed with a sickening squelching sound. "Gomenasai," Ino murmured as she dropped the kunai on the table and began to heal the wound, "This one will need to be wrapped as well," she told him, "Again, be careful. This one could've been deadly." She finished the healing process and wrapped his stomach in gauze.

The continued on for about an hour before Ino's job was finished. She had extracted four kunai and six shuriken altogether, and used a total of two and a half rolls of gauze. With a sigh, Ino said to Kisame, "Done. But you should see a doctor; you'll need a tetanus shot."

"A what?"

"Tetanus shot. Those weapons were metal, and they were embedded in you for at least a few hours, based on the crusted blood I saw around the wounded areas. If they were rusty, the rust could've gotten into your bloodstream and caused an infection. You need proper vaccination."

Kisame shook his head. "Sharks don't get tetanus, do they?"

"I don't think so, but -"

She was cut off when Kisame stood, collecting his things. "Thanks for the help, girlie." He made to move away, then finished, "Deidara, hurry it up, will you? We're getting tired of waiting."

Before Ino could ask what he was talking about. Kisame had already disappeared around the corner. _First Hidan, now Kisame..._Ino thought. She turned to Deidara accusingly and said to him, "What was he talking about, Dei? Him and Hidan both..." Her voice drifted off in thought.

"Don't mind them, un." Deidara evasively answered as he returned the medical things to the medic pack. "These kunai and shuriken need to be disinfected," he feebly attempted to change the subject.

"Don't change the subject," she snapped back, stifling a yawn. All of that continuous healing has taken a toll on her body and mind, and all she really wanted to do was sleep; get a good rest and regain Chakra.

Again, Deidara chose the evasive route, "You're tired. Perhaps you should go rest, un."

Ino stared Deidara down - he refused to meet her gaze. _Like he does every time he knows something he can't, or won't, tell me, _she thought to herself. "Fine," she stood and moved off, Deidara following along behind with the bloodied weapons and used-up medical pack.

The two of them made their way to their room. Ino opened the door for Deidara - since he had his hands full - and allowed him inside, following along behind. Deidara moved off to dispose of the shuriken on a nightstand that was between the two beds, and Ino locked the door to their room. Exhaustion swept over her, and she dropped onto Deidara's bed, taking in his beautiful scent. He carefully laid down beside her, using his arm to prop him up and therefore looking down on her. "Twenty minutes, Dei," she commanded, her voice already warped.

"Twenty minutes," he agreed, and she was out completely.

* * *

When she awoke, Deidara was sleeping. She wanted to rudely wake him, but he looked too peaceful, too beautiful to touch. Smiling, she brushed back his hair and gently touched her fingertips to his cheek. He smiled and opened his eyes. "Ohiyo," she mused, gently tracing his jaw line and following it to his soft lips. Her fingertips felt as though electricity was running through them and to Deidara's lips. Suddenly, her lips were tingling the same way, her mouth watering in response. She found herself pulling closer to him, and found Deidara doing the same. Soon, their lips connected.

"Ohiyo," Deidara replied as he moved from her mouth to the corner of her mouth, and from that to her chin. Feelings intensified, and Ino found her hands burying themselves in his hair, untying the tie that was holding it up. In response, Deidara rolled on top of her, nibbling at her earlobe and flicking his tongue behind it the way she loved. For some reason, her hands were needy. They disentangled themselves from Deidara's hair and moved to the buttons on his cloak. Deidara smiled against her earlobe and moved to her chest, tugging at the concealing shirt with his teeth. Moaning with pleasure, Ino continued to unbutton the cloak. There was no stopping her fingers, and soon, Deidara's Akatsuki uniform was plainly visible. Once this was accomplished, she pushed the other layer of clothing off him. Excited, Deidara helped, pulling his arms out of the sleeves of the cloak and tossing it aside.

Deidara slipped his hands underneath Ino's shirt. The mouths ejected their tongues, causing Ino to groan, arch upwards, and grab Deidara's wrists, all at once. Her breathing spiked, and soon she was panting for breath. Deidara looked down on her, a large smile playing at his lips. "They like you, un." He whispered in her ear.

"T-too much," she stammered. She thought she would pass out from the excitement.

Deidara nodded and retrieved his hands. "You started it, un." He accused, playfully nibbling at the nape of her neck, where it met her chest.

_He's doing this on purpose, _she thought to herself. It didn't matter. As he nibbled her neck, she felt her hands going into action again. They buried themselves under his shirt, feeling his lightly-toned back. Her hands were greedy today; they moved form his back to his front, greedily learning everything there was to know about the geography of his chest. She pushed his shirt upwards, working it off him. Deidara helped, and in seconds his shirt was on the floor.

Deidara sat on Ino's pelvis, like she'd done with him so many times before, and stared down at her, his breathing just as faulted as hers. Ino stared him down lustfully, her hands traveling over his chest. A deadly shiver ran down her spine, hitting all of her most sensitive points at once. She arched up a little, and that was the end of it. With a deep exhale, she rolled her head to the left, exhausted again.

"Tired already?" Deidara asked, propping himself up by resting his left hand on her chest, whispering into her ear. Ino winced with pleasure, and her body internally answered him: _Not yet. Not tired at all. _She was ready to advance somewhat physically, but she wasn't _ready _to be ready for him.

"Nngh, Dei..." She rolled her head to look at him again, only too see him looking down on her with the most lustful eyes she'd ever seen. Carefully, with a gentle sort of movement, Deidara pinned her arms down and kissed her with more feeling than three days ago, at his studio. Ino exhaled in ecstasy and stared up at Deidara as he broke the kiss and allowed himself to lay on her. He rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes and cupping her face in his hands as he carefully inhaled and exhaled. The mouths on his palms kissed and licked her cheeks.

"Gomenasai," Deidara murmured, eyes still closed. "I didn't mean to -"

Ino laid her finger over his lips, stopping him. He opened his eyes, and she elaborated, "It's my fault for egging you on like that. And making you wait." She gently touched her fingers to his face, carefully feeling it, as if it might break.

Deidara chuckled feebly, his strawberry-clay breath filling her nostrils. He kept his eyes closed when he told her, "Sasori and me leave for a mission soon, un."

"How soon is 'soon'?" Ino asked, anxiety throwing her heart into her throat.

Sighing, Deidara sat upright, leaving Ino for her side. Both concerned and anxious, Ino sat up as well. With a dry throat, Deidara answered, "Two days, un." His voice cackled, and Ino realized he wasn't looking at her, but directly ahead at the far wall.

Tears came to Ino's eyes, and she understood. She would have to go through every day without him or Sasori to aid or protect her. She was to be completely at the mercy of those who hated her, and there wouldn't be anyone to hug close to at night, to talk to. "How long will you be gone?" She asked, her voice showing more emotion than his. Feeling completely dumped, she held her fist closed to her mouth, sniffling through a runny nose and more tears. She already began to develop a headache, and knew this was going to be a bad attack.

"I don't know," Deidara answered, making every attempt from meeting her gaze. "But I know where we're going, un. Sunagakure. From here, the travel alone is at least a week, both ways, un. And there's no telling what'll happen along the way, or when we get there..."

_Take me with you! _Ino screeched throughout her thoughts. But she was unable to form the words; her heart was clogging her throat. Instead, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug, adding all of her body weight and causing him to fall back onto the bed. Deidara wrapped his arms around her affectionately, holding her close. She sobbed silently, not wanted to risk loosing Deidara. Not now, when she had just begun to heal, when she had just begun to wake from the darkness.

Suddenly, Ino realized why Deidara was ready to take her; it was because he'd wanted her to remember this morning, just in case he didn't come back. Fresh tears flowed, and a very innocent voice rang through her thoughts, _I love you, Deidara. _She wanted more than anything to repeat those words, but her voice had been stolen. Her mouth opened and closed in a desperate attempt to utter the words, but others came: "Take me with you." She moved so that she was looking down on him.

Deidara stared up at her as though she'd just suggested something gruesome. His face drained of color, and a bead of sweat ran down the corner of his face. "That's worse then handing your soul over to the Shinigami, un. Besides, you haven't even _started _your training with -"

"I don't care," Ino bluntly interrupted him, "ask your leader for me anyway. I want to go with you."

Deidara stared at her. She defiantly returned his gaze, refusing to loose. Finally, Deidara exhaled deeply, rolling his eyes away from hers. "I don't know, un. You're still sick..."

"I've been an ANBU for five years, damnit!" Ino shouted, letting her fist drop on Deidara's chest with a soft _thud_, "And I've survived. I've endured. _All by myself_." She added the last sentence with a bit of venom, hoping to convince him that she was strong enough to become a member.

Deidara was silent for a long while, before he answered, "We should talk to Sasori-danna first, un. If he doesn't agree, Hatafuri-san definitely won't."

All was silent for a moment, during which Ino stared down at Deidara, and he looked elsewhere. "Dei?" She began softly. When she was neglected an answer, she cupped the left side of his face in her left hand, forcing him to look her in the eye, and finished, "Do you want me to go?"

Deidara stared into her eyes for only a second before he sighed and answered, "I don't want to see you die...like everyone else, un."

To this, Ino didn't reply. Instead, she kissed the blonde as passionately as she knew how, trying to recreate his kisses. "I'm not going to leave you, Dei. Wherever you go, I'll go."

Deidara shook his head. "I want you _safe. _The Akatsuki base is safe - you'll have Kakuzu and Hidan and Itachi and Kisame and Zetsu and Konan and Hatafuri-san to protect you from outsiders, un."

Ino stared into Deidara's eyes, trying to catch hidden messages. When she couldn't detect any, she answered, "Fine. I'll stay and train while you're away with Sasori. I'll keep myself safe."

"Arigato," Deidara murmured as he kissed her. "I'll come back to you, I promise, un."

Ino nodded in disappointed agreement. She didn't want to stay in a lair filled with S-class murderers that despised the very fabric of her existence, but it would make Deidara happy. And if it made Deidara happy, she was happy.

The two of them kissed once more, before a knock at their door interrupted them. "May I come in?" The voice of Sasori asked as the puppeteer entered.

"Why bother saying anything," Ino asked Sasori as she backed off Deidara and sat upright, "if you're coming in anyway?"

The puppeteer shrugged. "Courtesy. You're talked to her, brat?" Sasori asked Deidara, who nodded. "Good. Now put your clothes on - Kisame's expecting the both of you at the waterfall in half an hour. You were asleep most of the morning - it's nearly noon."

"We missed lunch, un?" Deidara asked, pulling his shirt over his head. When Sasori nodded, he groaned. "Kuso. I'm really hungry, too. Kuso," he swore again, shoving his arms into the sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak.

"I have your medication for today, Ino." Sasori murmured as he offered a small paper cup. Ino nodded, taking the medication from him, and stared down at the pills. "You're supposed to take them with food, though," Sasori continued, rummaging through his cloak, "so I saved you some onigri." He handed five rice cakes to her, not meeting her gaze.

"Oh, arigato." Ino murmured as she took the riceballs with her free hand. Setting the medicine on the bed beside her, Ino turned to Deidara with a smile and said, "Want some?" Regardless of whatever answer he may have given, Ino handed him two and one half.

"Arigato!" He shouted, happily stuffing all two and one half rice cakes into his beautiful mouth. Still smiling, Ino took a bite of one of her cakes, followed up with all three of her pills. The taking of her pills no longer troubled her; she learned to deal with it and take them without feeling like some pill-addicted freak. She didn't feel very sick anymore, save for the anemic attacks she would have at nights. She was happier now, more willing to live, and found more energy within herself. The icy-cold shroud of darkness that had usurped her life was now no more than a tiny speck at the back of her thoughts.

Rice cakes still in hand, Ino casually took another bite. "So," she began softly, looking up to the two artistic Akatsuki standing before her, "what's this mission?"

"Confidential," Both Sasori and Deidara answered, in unison. The blonde bit into his own rice cake, sitting beside her on the bed. "I'd tell you if I could, un." Deidara offered, but she knew that wasn't happening soon. If she ever _did _become a member, that was the only time she'd be informed of the Akatsuki's affairs. Before that happened, if it ever did, she was destined to be left out.

"Kakuzu and Hidan have returned," Sasori told them, "while you were asleep."

An adrenaline rush swept over Ino, but she smiled. "Great. Now I can see what a full day of training is actually like!" The happiness spread to every corner of her mind, and soon she was excited to begin the day's lessons. Wolfing down the rest of her rice cake, she stood and let her hair down, quickly running Deidara's brush through it. When she finished, she replaced the brush and meticulously tied her hair back again, carefully making sure it was perfect. She had to make good impressions on her peers, after all. "Okay, let's go!" She shouted, suddenly wanted to train more than anything else.

"Un!" Deidara agreed, picking up on her enthusiasm. He stood and, rice cake in his mouth, handed her pack to her. Heart racing, Ino opened the door to their room and stepped outside, followed by Deidara and Sasori.

"What's with the sudden change of heart?" Sasori asked from behind.

"I was thinking, and I figured I shouldn't dread something that is vital. I mean, I'm being trained by S-class, rogue nin. There's no better education then from that of a criminal."

"Yay criminals, un!" Deidara shouted happily. Next left," he reminded her.

Ino nodded and took the left when they approached it. "And why face the inevitable with fear?" She continued, "We're all 'living' under the same roof, so I can't avoid them, anyway. I'd rather not fear them when I've got to train with them everyday."

"Hey, Danna," Deidara began, speaking to Sasori, "aren't you gonna go work on your puppets or something, un?"

There was a pause, in which Ino guessed Sasori had shrugged. "I don't know. I _should, _actually, but..." -Sasori sighed--"no motivation."

They approached the appropriate door, to which Ino opened, and entered. Kisame was waiting for them, meditating on the rock beside the waterfall. He seemed to be completely immersed in his meditating, but looked over when they appeared. He stood and jumped from his position on the rock, landing just before them. "Yamanaka Ino," Kisame acknowledged her with a nod.

Ino replied with a nod of her own.

"Ready?"

"I need to change," she murmured, looking off to her changing groove.

Kisame nodded. "Two minutes," he warned. "I've been waiting long enough, already."

Ino nodded once more, then jumped off to her groove. She changed, leaving everything she had brought where her bikini had been, then returned to the three Akatsuki. Deidara had already stripped to his boxers and hung his clothes on a nearby branch. He untied his hair, carefully tying the tie around the same branch. When he noticed her, Deidara smiled and waved. Deidara's greeting was contagious; Ino smiled and ran over to him in response.

"Where's Sasori?" Ino asked him, looking around. Kisame was a few feet off, changing, but the redheaded puppeteer was nowhere to be found.

"Work, of course." Deidara answered with a roll of his eyes, "He thinks his puppets are _art, _un. Hmph."

At this, Ino couldn't help but smile. The two artists' constant bickering about the true definition of art always made her smile. She didn't know why for sure, but assumed it had something to do with the fact that they acted so close, like brothers, when they fought. Whenever she heard them fighting, she wanted to hug them both and just..._smile. _She didn't know why; it was one of those feelings words can't explain.

"Yamanaka," Kisame called, now at the beach of the waterfall's pool. He motioned for her to come, and she complied, Deidara in tow. "What can you do?" He asked as they approached.

"Erm...Float and tread water?" She questioned her own meek abilities.

Kisame sighed. "We're starting from the beginning, then. Follow me." He stepped into the water and kept going until it was just below his waist. Ino and Deidara quickly followed. "Okay, first we're going to learn the freestyle stroke. It's basically the most important stroke; the one you'll use more than any other. It's also the easiest to learn. Now, the most important thing in using the freestyle stroke is equally moving your arms and legs. Everything needs to be equally synchronized, moving as one.

"Now, we break down the stoke into two basic units: arms and legs. We'll start with the arms first, since they do most of the hauling. When they come out of the water, they have to go over your head, but not fully stretched out; they should still be bent at about a one hundred and thirty degree angle. Like this." He demonstrated, starting off with his left hand. He was also moving his head to whichever arm was coming out of the water, Ino noticed. His hands were cupped only a little, and his whole abdomen was moving with the effort, as well. Ino realized Kisame _wanted _her to notice all of the movements his body was making as he demonstrated.

Kisame stopped, turned to her, and asked, "What did you notice?"

"You moved your head to face whichever arm was coming out of the water," Ino answered instantly, "and your hands were _just barely _cupped."

Kisame nodded. "Good. Now, the legs are much simpler. All you have to do is kick. But not so hard that they come out of the water and make a big splash; only enough to propel you. With the freestyle stroke, your legs never leave the water."

"Okay."

"Now, Deidara, demonstrate. Ino and I will watch from the rock." Deidara nodded, and the both of them climbed onto the water - using Chakra to hold them up, of course - and jumped off to the rock beside the waterfall. Deidara started to swim the freestyle, exaggerating some of the moves so that she would be able to analyze them properly.

"See his arms?" Kisame narrated, "The opposite arm goes up for each leg. Basically, when the left leg kicks, the right arm comes up. It's not as complicated as it sounds, as you can see."

"Hai," Ino murmured. She was hardly acknowledging the ex-Kiri nin's words; she was more interested in the blonde ex-Iwa nin. Deidara looked so alluring just then...She probably would have made a move, if Kisame had not been there.

"Alright, Deidara, stop!" Kisame turned to Ino. "Now jump in and repeat what you saw."

Nodding, Ino jumped into the water. Once she surfaced, she attempted to repeat Deidara's smooth movements. Her arms and legs moved exactly how Kisame had 'taught' her. She heard Kisame's voice, ordering her to stop, and she stopped. Standing, Ino realized she hadn't gone anywhere. "Nani?!" She shouted angrily, looking around. She was right; she only managed to move about two feet. Exasperated, Ino fell back into the water. "And here I thought I was actually doing well!" Anger rising, Ino stood again and defiantly slapped the water.

"You tried, un," Deidara answered, suddenly beside her. Kisame was there as well, shaking his head.

"You weren't synchronized at all." The shark man told her, "And you let your legs come out of the water. Too much splash, not enough movement."

Ino punched the water, teeth clenched.

"It's alright - some people _don't _get it on their first try." Although he said this nicely, Kisame's tone of voice gave him away. Her inability to do this successfully was annoying him. "That's all for today. You're dismissed." Kisame jumped out of the water and landed by his clothes.

Growling, Ino buried her face in Deidara's shoulder. "I can't believe I didn't actually _go _anywhere!"

"Here, get on your belly."

"Oro?"

"C'mon, on your belly, un." Deidara repeated, "Like you're about to do the freestyle." Curious, Ino did as she was told. Deidara's arms locked underneath her, acting as a barrier. "Okay, swim! Go, go, go!" Ino obliged, and actually founded herself going somewhere. "Look, you're swimming, un!" Even if it was just Deidara subtly pulling her along, pride swelled within her. "You're doing great, un! Keep going - you're almost there!" Suddenly spurred on, Ino gave it her all. When she did this, Deidara relinquished her. Ino continued to swim, and noticed she was actually _moving. _The pool's beach was getting closer and closer, and Ino's determination was getting bigger and bigger. "Go Ino, un!" Deidara cheered, suddenly at the beach.

Heart racing with excitement, Ino's arm suddenly hit the bottom of the pool. Ino stopped, letting her legs down, and realized that she made it. The water was up to her knees - she could walk the rest of the way. Her heart swelling with pride, Ino ran toward the blonde bishie, shouting, "Look, I did it!"

"Un!" Deidara shouted from the beach, "I'm so proud of you! You were _awesome, _un!"

Proud of herself, Ino slammed into Deidara, forcing a hug with him. He took the impact and, holding her tight, spun her around. "I did it!" Ino panted, suddenly out of breath.

"Un. You were great." Deidara answered, smelling her hair.

Taking in a deep breath, Ino backed off him. "Imma go change." Deidara nodded, letting her go, and she jumped off.

Quickly stripping off her bikini halves and hanging them up, Ino swapped them for her normal clothes and changed into them. She slung her pack over her shoulder and emerged, waving at Deidara, who was combing through his hair. Ino ran over to the bishie happily, forcing another hug with him. She kissed his cheek affectionately, then backed off. "Arigato," she thanked him as he returned to his hair.

"For what, un?"

"For helping me to swim. Now Kisame won't strangle me."

Smiling, Deidara nodded. "Un. He _did _look like he wanted to strangle you."

Ino smiled as well and leaned up against a nearby tree. Her days were becoming happier, and her relationship with Deidara was becoming stronger. She didn't feel embarrassed when he kissed her, and she was able to hug and kiss him in response. She could cuddle with him all she wanted, and it didn't really bother her when Sasori walked in on a kissing session. Well, she was _almost _used to that.

When Deidara was finished, the two of them left for Sasori's room. They got there quickly, not saying much along the way. Deidara held her hand gently, and she rubbed her thumb against his.

"Daaaaaaaaannnnnnaaaaaaa!!" Deidara called, banging on Sasori's door.

"Nani?" Sasori asked as he opened the door to his room.

"I learned how to swim!" Ino told him proudly, like a child.

"Good for you," Sasori congratulated her in a bored tone. Like a child, her little stack of pride was kicked back into nothingness. He stepped aside and allowed them in. "Alright, Ino, today I'm not making you do anything. I've got today and tomorrow to prepare for my mission, and I have a lot of puppets to go over. Enjoy an hour of doing nothing." Sasori sat at his desk and turned to one of his puppets. Ino and Deidara took a seat on Sasori's bed, and, for a moment, all was silent.

"Do you need sleep still, Sasori?" Ino asked him, looking down at the bed she was sitting on.

"No. It's more of a habit then a necessity. And blinking. Same thing." His wooden fingers clinked on something made of glass, and it spilled onto his desk. "Kuso," the puppeteer murmured as he held his hands up, trying to keep them away from anything. "I need something to wipe this up with," he told them, standing and looking around.

"Here, Danna." Deidara answered, throwing over a cloth that had been discarded on Sasori's bed.

Sasori caught it, nodding as he wiped off his hands. "Damn cloak caught," he murmured, throwing the cloth onto the table and pulling his cloak over his head, throwing it to the side. Sasori's puppet body seemed slender in the candlelight of the room, its tarnish reflecting the light and giving the illusion that he was glowing. He stretched his metallic wings as if they had gotten stiff, then returned to his desk.

"I don't see why you spend so much time with these _things_, un." Deidara said to Sasori, arms folding in disgust. "They're not art at all."

"You don't know art, brat." Sasori answered, and Ino smiled. She loved when they did this.

"Yes I do. Art is the fleeting moment of expression right at the end of something. My explosions are _fine _art - "

"Your explosions are crap," Sasori interrupted him.

" - because they're so fleeting, so transient, un. _That's _art."

"Art is the long-lasting material that surpasses the life of its creator. Eternal beauty."

"Bleh," Deidara answered, wrinkling his nose. "I respect you, Danna, but you're wrong, un."

"I'm twice your age, baka. I think I'd know the true knowledge of art, un."

"You're senile, Danna. Your old age has deluded the true knowledge of art, un."

Sasori's metallic wings _chinged _as they opened up and spread out wide in anger.

Ino had to hold her hand over her mouth to hide her chuckling.

"No, brat. Your young age blinds you to the truth," Sasori was quickly loosing the little patience he had; Ino could tell by the angry flexing of his metallic wings, by the tone of his voice, and by his working pace. "Art is forever. Eternal. That was one of the crucial reasons I changed my body; so that I could live forever and truly be _art._"

"That's not art at all!" Deidara objected, causing a giggle to well in Ino's throat. "When I die, it's going to be with the biggest bang the world has ever seen, un. Devastating to everyone. _Art is a bang_." He stressed the last sentence as much as possible.

Sasori let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. Other then that, he did not reply.

"You two are...hilarious." Ino said through giggles that had now taken over her.

"What?" They both shouted in unison, looking over at her.

Her giggling intensified at this. "It's just...you two fight like...brothers." She wiped away a laughter-induced tear and asked, "What would you two do if you went to some sort of life-after-death place and learned you were both wrong?"

"My art _is _art!" They both shouted again, in unison.

"But what if it isn't?" Ino challenged, the laughter subsiding.

"It _is._" Again, they answered in unison.

"Alright, Ino, what do _you _think the definition of art is?" Sasori challenged, turning his chair around and giving her his undivided attention.

"I don't know," Ino admitted with a shrug, "I'm not much of an artist. I never was. But I suppose I'd say art's something that comes back again and again. No matter what happens, it keeps fighting. On the other hand, I think _this _is art. The human body - the most magnificent thing I've ever seen."

"Why is that?" Sasori asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

"Well, if you think about it, all the human body is is a group of atoms that decided to work together. Those atoms formed molecules, and those molecules went on to become parts of the tissue, which become organs, which decided to work together and create a functioning organism. On that note, I suppose my definition of art is nature itself. Not those that live longer than others, not those that self destruct. Just the everyday, normal things that so many people take for granted; _each other. _

"But then again, I suppose that's the medic nin in me. And Sasori's love for things eternal is from being a puppeteer. And Deidara's love of explosions is from being a terrorist. All three of us were born with these natural talents that no one else has, and so we're naturally inclined to follow our own beating hearts. Sure, some people may be _similar _to you, but they can never _completely _understand _every _aspect of you. _That's _art; being so completely individual. Being able to see things your own way, being able to make your own decisions, to be so completely able of your _own _potential...

"I don't know, I guess art is just everything."

Deidara sniffed. "That was beautiful, un!" He shouted as he forced a hug with her.

"Huh," Sasori considered, "I've never thought of it that way before." He turned his chair back around and focused on his puppet again. "You're dismissed."

"Hai." Ino and Deidara stood, made to leave. "Bye, Sasori!" Ino said to him as she left.

Usually, he didn't answer. This time, however, he responded. "Goodbye."

Deidara closed Sasori's door behind him and motioned for her to move. As they walked, he said to her, "That was amazing, un. You have an artistic soul."

"Thank you," she took it as a compliment, "I answered from the heart."

Deidara grew a large smile and seemed not to notice.

They made their way to Uchiha Itachi's room, and in all that time, Deidara refused to stop smiling.

However happy he truly was, a scowl usurped his features as they stopped at the Uchiha's door. "Damn Uchiha," he murmured, barely audible. When Ino realized he refused to knock on the Uchiha's door, and did it herself.

It opened swiftly - albeit only a crack - to reveal Uchiha Itachi. Despite her previous revelation at the beginning of the day, Ino felt a surge of fear rush over her core, making her want to leave. "Erm...Ohayo." Ino sputtered, not meeting his Sharingan-red gaze.

"Yamanaka Ino of the Yamanaka clan, residents of Konohagakure," the Uchiha recited, his mouth hidden by his fully-buttoned Akatsuki cloak. "Your clan specializes in genjutsu - taking control of your opponent with the Shintenshin no Jutsu. I'd like to see that in action." The Uchiha's emotionless tone washed over Ino like ice water, causing her heart to flutter in a dangerous way.

"O-okay," Ino managed, nodding a little. In response, the eldest Uchiha slipped out into the hall, closing the door of his room behind him. He moved off without another word, and Ino found herself following after him, at a loss for words.

Deidara followed along beside her, and she remembered exactly how long it'd been since she'd last used her Shintenshin no Jutsu. Six years, exactly; she stopped using it a year before she went ANBU. Her heart rate rose in anxiety, and she instinctively grabbed Deidara's hand in hers, desperately trying to grip the fear away.

_What's worse, _she thought, _the biggest protégée of Konoha is going to be judging me. _Her heart leapt up into her throat, and the bad thoughts only got worse.

_I'm going to have to spar with him. _

_He won't go easy on me. _

_He's got the Sharingan, along with Mangekyou and all those others..._

_He knows my clan's jutsu; he probably already knows how it works._

The mouth on Deidara's palm ejected its tongue and licked the sweat off of hers in an affectionate manner. When Ino looked over to the blonde, he mouthed, _Relax, _and gave a small smile, trying to make her feel better. The mouth on his palm kissed hers, licking it, seemingly being controlled by Deidara.

Ino couldn't force a smile.

Instead, she returned her gaze forwards, at the Uchiha's back.

Try as she might, she just couldn't utter his first name; even in her thoughts, the eldest Uchiha had instilled a phobia of his first name. For some reason, she felt she wasn't worthy enough to mutter it.

The Uchiha turned to a door at his right and knocked once, calling out, "Kisame."

The door opened instantly, revealing a fully-dressed-and-dried Kisame. "Hai?"

"Come with us, onegai. I require your services." The Uchiha turned and moved down the hall again. Kisame followed alongside his partner, and the two blondes stayed well behind.

Ino was silent hyperventilating by now. There was a good side and a bad side as to what had just happened. The good side was that she wasn't fighting the Uchiha, and the horribly bad side was that she would have to fight Kisame.

There was a god side to that bad side, however: she had treated his wounds only hours ago, and therefore knew his weaknesses. If he didn't guard himself well enough, she would be able to hit those focal points easily, causing a quick victory.

Regardless of the plans forming, Ino didn't let her hopes rise too much. These men were Akatsuki for a reason; she, in her current state, was no match for any of them. _Don't loose faith in yourself, _she thought, _but don't underestimate the enemy, either. _This was one of the first things ANBU members were taught. _Keep your cool, but don't let the enemy know your true intentions. _This was one of the biggest reasons why the ANBU wore a mask; so enemies with gifted eyes such as the Sharingan could not see their faces. And the hole 'identity' thing. Can't forget about that.

The Uchiha opened a final door, and they were outside, at the waterfall. Numbly, Ino relinquished Deidara's hand, the instilled adrenaline finally stabilizing in her system. "Deidara," the Uchiha called, not even turning his head back, "accompany me atop the waterfall. We're going to watch Kisame fight Ino-chan." Deidara growled, but complied. The two of them jumped to the top of the waterfall, standing in the very middle of its stream.

Calmly, Ino walked to the middle of the waterfall's pool, using Chakra at her feet to hold her atop of the water. Kisame had followed, only he was about twenty feet away. She had her back to the waterfall, he was looking at it. Calmly, Kisame motioned for her to attack.

Ino fell into a defensive stance, calculating as she drew a kunai from her pocket. _He's still wounded, _she thought, _so he'll have poor Chakra flow. He'll raise his defenses, though..._Holding her kunai defensively in front of her face at a slanted angle, Ino stared her 'enemy' down. _High defenses, poor Chakra...My Shintenshin no Jutsu is useless against him; the Uchiha's his partner, he'll know how to protect himself already..._

Feeling rushed, Ino threw the kunai at Kisame, missing by an inch. Just before its path crossed Kisame's, the rolled-up exploding paper revealed itself and exploded, just as it passed his head.

In defense, just as she predicted, Kisame jumped up as the exploding paper combusted. Ino ran forward and jumped up into the sky as well, another kunai ready. Still in the air, Kisame made the seals for a water jutsu, and the water of the pool rose in four spiraling columns to smash onto Ino.

_Good thing that was a clone, _Ino thought from her actual spot on the rock beside the waterfall. She stared up at the angry shark-man, and realized just how great his stamina was. Wounded or not, he was too strong for her. She would have to go about her attacks carefully, she realized. Even worse: this was Kisame's domain. He was surrounded with water, the element he needed in a fight. Even worse than _that_: if she wanted to show the Uchiha her mind-control jutsu, she would have to find somewhere dry where she could store her body. Otherwise, it would drown while she was away.

_Tricky indeed, _she thought. Then: _But I know all of his attacks from being an ANBU. All of the moves he's ever showed anyone is on their database. That's how I was able to avoid this..._

She was not given any more time to think, as Kisame's jutsu ended.

As Kisame spotted her on the rock and came jumping over, a thought struck her: _The top of the waterfall. _Ino rolled her eyes up to the waterfall's top, where Deidara and the eldest Uchiha stood, watching her. _There's less water up there - only up to the ankles. No higher. If I activate my mind-control jutsu up there, my body won't drown..._Biting her lower lip in indecision, Ino avoided Kisame's Samehada as it came slashing down. She jumped away, to the top of the waterfall, between Deidara and the Uchiha.

Kisame followed, like a good little fishie. He jumped over her head, landing about twenty feet upstream. He ran forward, Samehada readied to strike. Ino jumped away defensively, in deep thought. _There's no way I'll be able to do anything while he's got his Samehada blade..._

She made a copy of herself, having it jump away, then rushed the delivery of her jutsu, pointing at Kisame as he ran towards her. "You're goin' down!" She shouted, and the last thing she remembered in her actual body was the cold intensity of the waterfall's stream against her cheek.

Her eyes reopened in a larger, stronger body. Samehada was in her grasp, but vibrating angrily. It knew she wasn't really Kisame.

_I have to do this quick, _Ino thought. Kisame was strong; he wouldn't be held in submission for long. Samehada at the ready, Kisame's body charged at his Uchiha partner. The Uchiha remained impassive until the very last moment, where he transported himself behind Kisame and held a kunai at his throat.

That was when Ino's hiding clone revealed herself and threw a kunai at the Uchiha, aiming at his side, between the ribs.

He caught it with his free hand, twirling it around his fingers.

_Not good, _the Ino-clone reported.

Her time was running out - Kisame was shouting in rage at the back of their shared mind. Her original body was getting colder by the second, and she could hardly move Kisame because of the threatening Uchiha holding a kunai to his throat.

"You backed yourself into a corner, Ino-chan." The Uchiha's cold voice whispered in Kisame's ear, causing warning shivers to go down their spine.

"I'm not through yet!" The Ino-clone shouted, jumping up and moving to land on the Uchiha, another kunai at the ready.

The Uchiha protégée completed a seal with _one hand _and created a clone of himself. "You annoy me with these pointless charades," the Uchiha-clone told the Ino-clone as she ran at him. She threw her kunai down, hoping to impale him, but he simply grabbed her weapon-bearing wrist and twisted it upwards, to the point where she could feel every bone in her wrist. The clone cried out in pain, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Ino quickly became panicked, which was not good. Kisame's body shook with rage as his internal shouts grew louder and louder. Forcing their shared heart to calm, Ino raised Samehada over the waterfall. She was about to relinquish the sword, but the will of Kisame was quickly becoming greater than hers. _C'mon, drop it, kuso..._Her Chakra was fading; her jutsu wouldn't last much longer.

A though struck her, and she willed Kisame's body into action, relinquishing Samehada into the waterfall's pool below and spinning around to face the Uchiha. Just before the Uchiha defensively struck, Ino relinquished her hold on Kisame completely, returning to her body as a confused-Kisame shouted out.

The re-entry to her body was slow, but she made it back just as her Uchiha mentor was picking her up by the collar of her shirt. "Suffer." Was all he said, and she was thrown, spiraling, into a another world, its colors red, black, and white.

In this world, Ino saw only one other person: Deidara. He was in full uniform, tied up on a crucifix, head down as if already dead. "Dei - " Ino began, but was silenced when he left arm thrust outwards, stabbing a katana into Deidara's abdomen. "Wha - No!" She yelled over Deidara's wails. She couldn't relinquish her hold of the Katana, nor could she stop her arm. "Noooo!" Tears were flowing freely now, and she could do nothing to save him.

Suddenly, the stabbings stopped. Deidara looked up, a psychotic smile warping his face. "_My turn_," he said viciously, tearing the ropes of the crucifix as he forced his way off. He took awkward, terrifying steps towards her. Her heart raced adrenaline through her, and as much as she wanted to back away from him, she couldn't. Deidara stopped when he was an inch from Ino's face, his rancid breath filling her nostrils and clouding her mind with fear. For an instant, he returned to normal, his beautiful blue - currently white - eye looking down on her with something resembling affection. Her heart slowed.

An instant later, the malicious look returned, and Deidara ripped the katana out of his own abdomen and ran it straight through hers.

The pain was no hallucination.

Ino cried out until her throat cracked, and still she found no satisfaction. The impact made her fall to the ground, the katana being forced back through the wound. Standing above her, Deidara stepped on her with one foot, took the katana in both hands, _and twisted it. _Ino screamed again, tears welling. She couldn't manage to say anything but, "Please, Deidara, don't do this to me..." She weakly reached one hand out, only to have Deidara rip the katana out of her and use it to slash her hand off.

Her dismembered arm fell back to the ground, her heart still pumping blood to a hand that wasn't there. She screamed out again, only to have Deidara throw his head back in laughter and repeatedly stab her, until she felt like a mashed potato, a squashed bug. Deidara's face and clothes were covered in her blood, and yet she still kept bleeding. She felt the pain, but was reduced to nothing more than whimpering and crying.

_This is not real, _a voice echoed through her thoughts. The pain was unbearable, yes, but she was quickly overcoming it. _And look, this is not Deidara. This is not the man you love. _Ino rolled her head to look up at Deidara and studied the malice contorting his cherubic features. The voice was right; this was not at all similar to the man she adored. This was a monster, created by Uchiha Itachi, to terrify her beyond her worst nightmare.

But there was a flaw in Itachi's work: he had chosen someone who would never do this to her. Had he done it himself, she'd still be in submission. Be he hadn't; he had chosen Deidara in hopes of crushing her completely.

_Genjutsu is just enemy's Chakra invading that of your brain, _Ino remembered, _To break a genjutsu single-handedly, simply regain control of the Chakra in your brain..._Willing her eyes closed, Ino imagined the Chakra paths of her brain being warped by Itachi and imagined her own Chakra beating it into submission. _This is _my _brain, _Ino shouted at Itachi's Chakra, _and you do _not _belong here! _She imagined his Chakra, a blood red, being smothered by hers, a pastel blue. _I am in control, and I say no more! _The red Chakra fought back a little, but she had the upper hand.

_I said go! _Ino roared, battering the Chakra with all the force she had. Her eyes shot open, and all was dark, perfectly still.

She had won.

* * *

**A/n **

**Translations: **

**Gomenasai - I'm very sorry **

**Ohiyo - Good morning**

**Shinigami - Death god **

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Arigato - Thank you **

**Kuso - Shit **

**Onigri - Riceballs/cakes **

**Hai - Yes/right **

**Nani - What **

**Oro - Huh? **

**Bishie - Pretty boy **

**Baka - Idiot **

**Shintenshin no Jutsu - Mind Control Jutsu **

**Onegai - Please **

**Okay...This chapter was _really _hard! I've never done so much fighting and swimming and philosophy before...Oh yeah, Ino's ideas of art are adopted from mine ;) Anyway, please R&R!**


	7. Day 11

**Chapter 7**

For what seemed like years, Ino had floated around the black waters of her subconcious, trapped. Of course it would be this way: she had broken free from the Mangekyou hours before it was meant to end. For the remainder of that time, she was trapped within her own unresponsive body. She couldn't think, couldn't even dream. No, Itachi's Mangekyou worked well enough to keep her trapped. She had inflicted only a crack among the genjutsu's armor, and so it still bound her within her subconscious for as long as Itachi had intended to keep her.

So, for however long she was trapped in that confinement, she was completely alone. Her mind di dnot reveal anything if processed while she was locked away, if it processed anything at all. There was no sight, no sound, no feeling, no thought, and no movement. She was unable to feel her own body, and was unable to recieve her own blank thoughts. There was no sight, save for the ever-lasting darkness. She felt nothing but cold - a type of hypothermic cold that refused to go away. For all eternity, it seemed, this was all she felt, all she saw.

But, eventually, the cold grip of Mangekyou released her. With something resembling a great descent - more like a fall, really - Ino was given control of her body again. Happy to see her again, her body jerked visciously, allowing her to feel everything once more. Her toes were stiff - needed a good crack - her back and neck hurt, and she felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. Ino's eyes fluttered open, only to find her vision too blurred to make anything out. After blinking a few times, her vision slowly cleared.

When it did, she found her gaze met by none other than Deidara. His eyes grew wide as he hissed in air through his teeth. "Mmmm...Dei?" Ino called, surprised to find her voice intact. Her throat hurt like hell, but her voice was as it normally was...

"I-ino?" The blonde bishie looked amazed, but beyond that, Ino noticed something else: His entire face was worn with exhaustion, as though he had stayed awake for days on end. The white of his visible eye had gone a bright pink color, and the eyeliner around it was smeared a little. His normally-perfect hair was sticking out at all angles; more of it was out of the ponytail than in. "Ino," Deidara's beautiful voice cracked over parched lips, "Ino, are you really alive, un?" His eyes widdened as his heart apparently stopped.

She was too tired to speak, so she simply laid her left hand on his left cheek, gently rubbing it with her thumb as she smiled. Smiling through his own shock, Deidara held her wrist gently with one hand, closing his eyes in relief. "Oh my god, Ino, I thought...I mean...Kami, it hurt so much more than any pain I've ever felt before, un...I'd only felt it once before, and I didn't want to ever face it again...It was so scary to see you like that, un...I was certain you'd never wake up. And now look at me, un. I'm a wreck, and it's only been tweleve hours...The scariest thing was the possibility of leaving you here while I went on my mission with Sasori-danna, un. I'd get myself killed if I had to leave you like that...I couldn't - just couldn't leave you that way, un. I'm so glad you're alright. I nearly killed myself as I watched you, un..." Deidara clamped his eyes shut in relieved hysteria. He took a deep, steadying breath.

Ino forced herself upright, ignoring the waves of nausea that rolled through her, and smiled softly. "I - " Her voice broke, and tears fell. Her eyes clamped shut, and she found herself unable to relay the message.

Deidara wrapped both arms around Ino and hugged her close. Ino did the same, needfully hugging him close. "Ino...I'm sorry I - "

"Don't apologize for anything," Ino interrupted him, "just tell me what you saw that made you this way."

Nodding, Deidara let her go and looked down at his hands. "When Itachi first put you under, you screamed a lot. That's actually normal, un. I was helpless, and thought it better to jump off the waterfall than let my heart ache like it did. But when you started crying out my name and begging me not to hurt you...I wanted to die right there, un. But I kept myself like a stone the whole time. Anyway, Itachi and Kisame left, and I ran you back here, to our room. You started shouting at whoever to get out of your brain, that it was yours, and I started loosing it, un. Sasori-danna had to restrain me while you where shouting; he was afraid I'd do something drastic. But then...y-you stopped screaming, and you started twitching. Seizure, un. I was so scared...I thought I was going to loose you for sure. And then, just like that, you went still, un. Almost as if you were dead. At first, I thought you were, un. But then you woke up." He gave a weak smile and closed his eyes, resting his forehead on her shoulder gently. "I've never been so terrified before, un."

_A seizure? _Ino asked herself, _Well, I suppose it occured because I 'escaped' the illusion of Itachi's Mangekyou. I forced his Chakra out of my brain too quickly, causing the synapses to fail, which then triggered the seizure. Sounds plausible. _

There was a knock at the door. It opened a second later with Sasori's voice. "O-oh, you're up already, Ino?" He asked, closing the door behind him as he approached.

"Yeah," Ino sighed, closing her eyes, "but I feel horrible."

"It's a miracle you're awake already." Sasori told her. "What's wrong with the brat?" he asked, pointing to a frozen Deidara.

"He's just relieved, is all." Ino murmured, looking down on Deidara's visible shoulder and rubbing his back affectionately.

"Hmm. Haven't seen him so bad since the first week he was here. Anyway, Itachi and Hatafuri are both stunned. Well, Hatafuri is, anyway. Itachi's got more of a broken ego. Hatafuri, though...He's impressed. Amazed. He was talking to Konan well, technically, he was talking to all of us - and he said you were on your way to becoming a Possible."

"What's that?"

"As the name implies," Deidara answered, his voice as normal as possible, "a 'Possible' is a possible candidate for the next member of the Akatsuki." He backed off her, and she realized his face was stone again. He had rubbed his eyes more, calmed himself down. It looked ice-cold now...Ino _wanted _to reach out and touch him, but decided against it. 'It's a great honor, un." He added dryly, as if he didn't think that at all.

"More than that," Sasori said with a shake of his head, "it's amazing. You've been here almost two weeks and you've gotten Hatafuri's favor. _In one fight. _It took Deidara's years of being a terrorist for Hatafuri to find interest in him."

"Those were the best years of my life," Deidara mumbled, his mood suddenly sour. Combing through his hair, he added, "I liked my old job better."

"Tsk. Stop sulking, brat. Anyway, Ino, I came to check up on you. The last time I was here, you went grand mal. How do you feel now?" He sat where Deidara had been and looked her in the eyes.

"Tired, mostly." That was an understatement. She felt as though she had left her body for a very long time and had completely forgotten what a body felt like. Her senses were ten times stronger than what they normally were, and she actually _felt _everything within her body; she could feel her infection-plagued kidneys, the heaviness of her bones and brain, the complete _emptiness _of her bowels..."Um, Sasori, when I had that seizure...did my bowels move?"

Sasori gave a grave nod. "I changed you though, not Deidara."

She wasn't sure it that was actually better or not.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Her stomach grolwed, but instead she said, "Why are you talking so loud?" She put one hand on her stomach and one to her forehead. She was beyond dizzy; the synapses in her brain were practically swearing at her. "And yeah, I could eat a cow."

Sasori nodded. "Can you stand?"

Ino attempted to do so, but failed horribly. Deidara allowed her to lean on him for support, and Sasori stood. "Perhaps we're rushing it a bit, un?" Deidara suggested.

"She had the seizure hours ago. And since she recouperated so quickly...Babying things will only make them worse, brat." Sighing, Deidara left it at that. Sasori opened the door for them, and Deidara carefully guided her out, as though afraid she might break.

As they made their way through the halls, Ino slowly began to regain her strength. She didn't feel so absolutely horrible, and her headache was slowly dissapearing. Thoughts were finally connectiing again, and she was able to think about something besides her pain.

Seeing her like that had broken Deidara, she knew. If he was a crier, he probably would have cried his heart out, based on what he looked like when she first saw him again. Instead, he took everything with a stony reserve, locking away all of his emotions.

He _was _an Iwa-nin, after all; they were taught to keep themselves like stone.

They approached the Meeting Room and took a seat the the long table in its center. Ino gave a yawn, weakly rested her head on Deidara's shoulder. In response, the blonde bishie draped his arm over her shoulders, covering them in a nice warmth. Happy to have him with her, Ino snuggled in closer, trying to take all the warmth he had. She was cold.

Sasori returned from wherever he had gone to with a large plate piled high with leftover dango, accompanied by two large cups of water on either side. "For you both," he clarified as he set it down in front of them. He took a seat across from them at the table, and Ino grabbed two dango and shoved them both into her mouth, muttering thanks. Chuckling, Deidara gracefully took one and took a small bite.

Ino didn't care that she was living up to her name; this was the hungriest she had ever been. Stuffing three more into an already-full mouth, she told hem, "Thff ff da lungrief I've ever been in ma liffe!" Meaning, "This is the hungriest I've ever been in my life!" She took a minute to take a large gulp of water, then returned to her quickly-dwindling pile of dango.

Only a few bites later, Ino realized her stomach had reached its maximum compacity. "Whoa, I'm done." She pushed the plate away and laid an arm over her stomach.

Deidara gave a smile - one that seemed quite forced to her - and took another dango, sipping it down with his cup of water. "Arigato, danna," he mumured, setting his cup back onto the table.

"What time is it?" Ino mumured aloud as she sipped her water.

"Around three in the morning," Sasori answered. "Since Itachi put you under Mangekyou at about three in the afternoon. He told me he'd originally intended to put you under for tweleve hours. And he did, presumbably."

Deidara smirked. "Poor thing broke his pride, un. He's out practicing his Mangekyou, I believe. Last time I checked, anyway, un. Yay Ino!" He pulled her closer in affection. "Someone finally showed that damned Uchiha." He took a sip of his water.

"Hn." Itachi's cold voice came from behind, causing Deidara to spit his water out in surprise. "Ino-chan...I...require your medical services."

Being the medic nin that she was, Ino turned around to face Itachi. What she saw made her gasp in horror: both of the whites on the Uchiha's eyes were as red as his Sharingan, which was currently hidden behind bottomless onyx eyes. Tears of blood ran down the corners of both eyes, and she knew he was in pain. It was obvious he had been training for tweleve hours as Deidara had predicted.

Jumping to her feet, Ino turned to face Itachi fully and gently touched her fingertips to the corners of his eyes. "Uchiha-sama...How long and hard were you training? Wait, never mind. Here, lay back onto the table." Despite what he had done to her only tweleve hours before, Ino could not ignore a person in need. She _had _provoked him, after all.

As Itachi took her seat at the table, backwards, and laid down onto it, Ino climbed atop the table and sat beside him. Deidara grumbled something as he cleared the food away, but Ino wasn't listening. All of her attention was focused on the Uchiha that needed her help. "How long have you kept your Sharingan activated?" She asked as she placed one hand at either temple and closed her eyes in concentration.

There was a pause as Itachi considered. "Eleven years."

Ino felt her jaw drop. As she peered at Itachi's inner sight sensories, she saw that guess to be accurate. "How long have you been training?"

"Since four, after you escaped the illusionary part of my Mangekyou. Eleven hours." There was a pause before he added, "I only sought your attention when I lost my vision."

Ino's eyes snapped open. "Wait...You can't see anything?" She waved a hand over his unseeing onyx eyes.

There was a pause before Itachi answered, "Before I came to see you, there was absolutely nothing. Now I can almost see the differences between the features of your face..." His voice faded off as he frowned, deep in thought.

"The Uchiha's blind, un?" Deidara asked, a happy, in-your-face tone to his voice.

Ino motioned for him to shut up. "Uchiha-sama...I won't be able to heal everything in one shot. I'm not strong enough." She returned to healing, forcing herself. She was reaching her limit already; there was scarce anything else she could do for him now. "Gomenasai, Uchiha-sama," she began, stopping the Chakra flow, "there's nothing more I can do for you today. I need sleep."

"Hn." Itachi sat upright and stared up at the ceiling. "This is what power does to you," he mumured, "makes you arrogant and prideful." He got to his feet and made to move off. "Domo arigato, Ino-chan. And please, if you must use such powerful honorifics, use my first name. I murdered my clan for a reason, and it was not to have a blonde call me by their name."

"Gomenasai," Ino instantly apologized, "Itachi-kun." Itachi nodded, and left them.

Deidara mumbled something against Itachi, but she hardly acknowledged him. "'Bout time the teme goes blind."

"Hush," Ino commanded as she climbed off the table. Deidara's constant mumbling was trying on her patience. She didn't _want _to find him annoying, but her tired-patience was quickly wearing thin. She had been weak to begin with, and exerting her Chakra so soon had worn her thin. She needed to sleep again. "Wow," Ino mumured as she stretched and yawned, "I'm tired again." She fell back as dizziness rushed over her, but Deidara caught her in his arms.

"You need to shower first," Sasori murmured.

"I won't be able to stand that long," she told him, fighting down the lethargic weakness.

"Bath then, un." Deidara mumured. "I'll help you if you want."

Ino vigorously nodded.

"Okay, bath, un. Bye, Danna." Sasori nodded, and Deidara guided her away.

Deidara waited until they had rounded a corner and followed a long hall to speak. "Are you...mad at me, un?"

"Of course not," Ino mumured with a shake of her head. She really wanted to sleep more than anything, but knew not to oppose Sasori. She had yet to see his anger's full potential, and she did not want to be on the recieving end.

The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, had the same sort of easily-tapped anger.

A pang of guilt shot through her heart suddenly, jolting her into alertness. A deep frown harddened her features, and she suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. Sadness. Her heart iced over with pain, and her eyes burned. For the first time in a very long time, she missed her village and everyone residing within its borders. Ino bit her lower lip and repeated a single phrase in her thoughts: _You will not cry. _

They reached the door to the bathroom then, and Deidara silently opened it and allowed her inside. "You okay, un?" He asked her.

Ino didn't look at him - only directly ahead - as she walked inside. "Fine," her tretorous voice squeaked five octaves too high.

"You don't _sound _fine," he mumbled, closing the door and gently gripping her shoulders in his hands. "Did I do something, un?"

"No, I-I'm just...Never mind." Tears welling in her eyes, she moved to the bathrub and turned the water on. "I'm sorry...I just need some time alone."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ino noticed that Deidara has backed to the door, his hands behind his back and on the doorknob. "I'll go get you a change of clothes," he murmured, silently leaving.

He was dissapointed, or upset, she knew. He thought he had something to do with her being upset. And, although she tried to hide her emotion, he had picked up on it immediately. He was probably feeling shut out as well, but Ino decided to tell him after she took her bath. At that moment, however, she needed to wash the tears away, alone.

Turning the water on and waiting for it to fill the tub, Ino shed her clothes and - pouring some bubble soap into the water - sank inside, sighing in comfort. She turned the water off and allowed the bubbles to engulf her. Closing her eyes, Ino sank lower into the comforting water, her head barely visible among the bubbles.

The depression came back again, slamming itself onto her. Tears welled again, and she silently let them flow. She didn't want to, but she missed Konoha. She couldn't say why; it was just something she felt.

"Ino, un?" Deidara's voice snapped her depressing homesickness, causing her to open her eyes again, "What's wrong?" He got down on his knees and cupped her cheek in his hand. The mouth on his palm kissed and licked her cheek affectionately.

"It's nothing," she sniffed, "don't worry about it."

"It's upsetting you," he contradicted, "so it's upsetting me, un."

This made Ino's tears come ten-fold. Covering her eyes in shame, she managed, "It's just...I-I _miss _Konoha," she sobbed. "I don't want to, but I do..." She sniffed as she tried to force the tears down. "I-I'm sorry."

Deidara moved his hand, resting it on her shoulder. "I know how you feel. It's okay, un. Everyone gets a little homesick eventually. There's no reason to feel ashamed over it, un. It just means you're human." This made a smile grace Ino's tear-stained face, although she was in no mood for smiling. Deidara gave her a soft kiss on the lips, then backed off and whispered, "I'll go now, un." Ino nodded, and, with a little squeeze of affection, he turned to leave. "Your pajamas are on the shelf with the towels, un." He put his hand on the doorknob and would've left, if Ino had not stopped him.

"Dei?" He paused. "I'm sorry." Even she didn't exactly know what she was apologizing for.

"Don't be." He opened the door and left, closing it behind him.

Not holding back, Ino let the tears fall freely. Everything was slipping right through her hands: Deidara and Sasori were leaving on a mission that would take them a month to complete; Hidan, Kakuzu, and Kisame still loathed the thought of her; and, after the seizure from the escape from the Mangekyou, Deidara had acted as though she were a porcelain doll - he was afraid she could break at any moment. And what was worse: she was _missing _Konoha. Why, she feared she would never know. But one thing she knew for sure: things would not get better whilst the two artists were gone.

Tears rolling, Ino quickly cleansed her body and hair. For the first time in a very long time, she felt utterly hopeless in the situaton.

* * *

Deidara wasn't across the hall, in his room, so Ino decided to check Sasori's room. By now, she knew how to get to at least a few places.

Knocking on the puppeteer's door, Ino felt her throat go dry. Things were most definitely not going well. "Um, Sasori?" She called, leaning her head closer to the door.

"Yes?" came Sasori's voice in reply.

"Uh, erm...Can I come in, please?"

The door began to open, and she backed away. Sasori revealed himself and studied her for a moment before answering, "You look horrible, Ino." He stepped aside and allowed her in. "What's troubling you?" He asked as he closed the door behind her and moved to his chair, flipping it around to face the bed.

Ino took a seat there, as always. Twidling her thumbs, she stared down at them and asked, "Have you, uh...seen Deidara recently?" She looked up to meet his mercury eyes.

"No, I haven't." Taking a deep breath to hold back the threatening tears, Ino returned her gaze to her thumbs. "What's troubling you?" Sasori repeated, and she knew she had to answer this time; Sasori hated repeating himself.

"It...doesn't matter," she murmured, knowing it would anger him but not wanting to just pour everything out at once.

"I won't tell a soul," he promised, only the slightest tint of annoyance in his voice.

That was exactly what she wanted to hear. Suddenly, the truth came pouring out of her, like a waterfall. She started out at the seizure and worked her way up to the very moment, filling Sasori in on everything. She didn't keep a word from him, and by the time she was finished, she had her face buried into Sasori's pillow, having soaked it with her tears. "And," she finished through sobs, "I-I-I think I..." _Love him! _Her conscience finished, but she couldn't manage to bring herself to utter the words. Frustrated, she pounded the bed weakly. "Kuso!" She shouted through relentless tears.

"Ino," Sasori spoke her name firmly, causing her to look over to him, "Deidara is not a simple person. And, judging by what you've told me, he's just as confused as you are. He's never had a relationship that lasted longer than a couple of hours, if you know what I mean. He's used to quick things, not something that lasts a long time. To that, he just needs some time to adjust.

"The seizure, though...He's probably in shock. Give him some time, and he'll bounce back. He cares about you; this I can tell. It's written all over his face, plainly visible when you're around. What he said to you in the bathroom is just a signal that he's trying. He wants to be with you, and he's too blind to see just how strong his feelings for you are. Help him along a little; stop giving such mixed messages and just _tell _him. The fact that you can't just means you're afraid of rejection. I can guarantee you that he won't reject you. He wants to hear it; that's why it feels like he's smothering you with affection. He's the physical type, so you have to back that up with words _and _actions.

"Things will work out eventually," he promised, his voice stern with seriousness.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Deidara's been my assigned partner for almost ten years. I know his thought process by now." Ino nodded, and he finished, "You should go find him now. He's probably in his studio; he goes there to work when something's troubling him."

Nodding again, Ino sat upright and left the bed. "Arigato," she murmured as she left, closing the door behind her.

Leaning up against the door, Ino sighed. When she felt she was ready, she moved in the direction of Deidara's studio.

* * *

She reached Deidara's studio and took in a deep breath. Nervousness racked through her entire body, making her question just how much she actually wanted to do this.

Taking in another breath, Ino knocked on the door. "Um, Deidara?" She called. When she didn't recieve an answer, she invited herself in. "Deidara?" She called again. Everything was still; there were no signs of movement anywhere in the room. Nor were there any signs that the blonde bishie had been anywhere in the room at all that day. "Where _is _he?" She asked aloud as she entered the studio. Nothing had been touched for what seemed like days; left-alone clay had dried, and everything had been neatly put away.

Moving over to the cabinents to her left, Ino began to go through them for signs of usage. There were none; it seemed Deidara hadn't been to his studio for at least a couple of days. _So if he's not here, _she thought, still digging through the cabinents contents, _were else could he be? _There was a possiblity that he was around Ame, but that was terribly small. She could go back to Sasori's room, or Deidara's. The Akatsuki lair was large; he could be anywhere.

Sighing, Ino closed the cabinent's door and decided to look elsewhere. She left the studio, her spirits quickly dropping.

Deidara's room was fruitless as well, along with Sasori's. She was sort of embarrased to go back to the redhead again, but she was desperate. She needed more than anything to find Deidara. The puppeteer then suggested checking the waterfall, and said that if she couldn't find him to stop looking.

She checked the showers first. Dead silence told her no one was occupying any of them.

That left only one option: the waterfall. Ino raced to it, heart racing. She _had _to speak with Deidara before he left for his mission with Sasori the next day. It was more than imperitive.

Flinging open the door to the waterfall, Ino realized one of two things: the first being that the sun had risen, and the second that Deidara was at the top of the waterfall, stripped of his clothes except for his black boxers, and was about to jump off it.

"De - " she began, but was forced to stop when Deidara jumped off the precipice, gracefully going a 360 in the air before making contact with the water below.

Forgetting to breathe, Ino counted how long he was under. _One...Two...Three..._

Before the 'four' count, Deidara resurfaced and gasped in some air. He swam over to the pool's beach, where Ino met him. "Oh, hello Ino, un." He greeted her.

"Hi," she managed. "What 'cha doin'?"

Deidara cracked a smile. "Jumping off the waterfall, un. I do that when I have a lot on my mind. Adrenaline clears the mind of all troubles, un."

Ino looked up to the waterfall, then down to Deidara, and back again. "May I join you?" She asked, returning his gaze.

Neither of the blondes' smiles faded.

* * *

Ino screamed in excitement as she fell from the waterfall. She had changed into her bathing suit, and completely forgotten to do a trick while she was falling. It didn't matter in the least; she was never happier. She hit the waterfall's pool with a splash - the cold water jarred her into complete alertness, made her feel truly alive, wipped her mind of all troubles. Deidara was right; jumping from the waterfall, and experiencing all of that adrenaline, really cleared the mind.

Resurfacing, Ino took in a big gulp of air and nearly died of fright as Deidara expertly landed in the water beside her. He surfaced and, taking her hand, motioned for her to follow. Ino nodded, and he brought her to the rock that jutted out beside the waterfall like a platform. He climbed up onto it, then turned back and help her up. She stumbled a bit, but he held her firm, holding her body tightly to his. Looking up at him, Ino's heart skipped a beat. She wanted nothing more than to caress him, to let him caress her.

Keeping hold of his hand, Ino began to sit down on the rock, tugging his hand as a signal to follow. He did, and she continued moving and tugging until she was on her back and he was on top of her. Deidara took the hint and connected his lips to hers, caressing her just the way she desired. In response, her hands needfully caressed his lightly-toned back and front. They felt every inch of bare skin he had exposed, as if this was the very first time she had ever seen him topless.

Deidara broke away from her to breathe and, when he caught his breath, moved to her neck. "You're getting much better at this, un." He murmured onto her neck. At the 'un,' deadly shivers ran down her spine, causing her to groan in pleasure and arch upwards a little, holding him in her arms. "Ooh, looks like we've found another G-spot of yours, _un_." He kissed her neck as he said 'un,' causing her to cry out louder. Whispering his name, she exhaled deeply, trying - but failing - to beat the shivers into submission.

Deidara smiled against her neck, obviously satisfied. He moved to her earlobe, nibbling at it and flicking his tongue out behind it. "Un," he cruelly murmured with a smile, causing those shivers to run down her spine again.

"Deidara!" She gasped as she clung to him, arching upwards again. Her breathing and heartrate spiked, but she loved it. "Nngh..." Her hands balled into needful fists on his back.

The blonde bishie looked down on her and whispered, "You make the most beautiful facial expressions, un." She managed to open her eyes and look into his. They were glazed over with lust, affection, love...and something she couldn't identify. Intriguement was the closest word she could use.

"Roll over," Ino commanded, "on your back."

Deidara complied without a word of complaint. He snuggled into the rock and wordlessly looked over at her.

Shaking with nervousness, Ino climbed onto Deidara, resting her forehead on his. Her mouth suddenly went very dry, but both her heartrate and breathing spiked even more.

Her blonde partner looked up at her with patient, questioning eyes.

"I-I wanna...explore," she answered the gaze, avoiding it.

Deidara chuckled. "Everything you see," he whispered, "is yours, un."

This made a fierce blush usurp her face. Sitting up, on his pelvis, she answered, "Then can you close your eyes?" Still smiling, Deidara silently complied.

For a moment, Ino did nothing but stare down at Deidara's lightly-toned chest. Then her feelings for him kicked into full gear, and she began to trace his muscles down his abdomen, her fingertips barely making contact. Her mouth watered, and she bent down, laying on him fully, and nibbled at random points, searching. She _had _to find his sensitive points; she _had _to please him. These were her priorities.

After finding nothing in his abdominal area, she moved up to his chest. The first thing she went for was the sewn-up mouth above his left nipple. This seemed to excite him; he grunted very audibly. Smiling against the mouth, Ino moved to one of his hands. Connecting her lips with its', she coaxed its mouth open and hummed once inside. Deidara must have found this very amuzing, because he whispered Ino's name and arched upwards.

Still smiling, Ino left Deidara's hand and moved to his collarbone. She didn't get much of a reaction there, but he _did _react. His neck offered barely audible grunts, and his earlobe gave nothing.

Satisfied with what she had learned, Ino returned her lips to Deidara's, where they belonged. This was also where he truly became animated, putting everything he had into the kisses. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her back and untying her hair. Deidara took dominance again and broke away from her. He stared down at her with a look full of affection. Taking a small strand of her hair in his fingers, Deidara whirled it around his fingers and smiled down at her.

"N-nani?" Ino stuttered. She resolved to work on that stuttering problem later.

Deidara answered with another question. "Do you trust me, un?"

Ino nodded. "Forever."

Smiling, the blonde bishie took her hand and stood. Ino followed after him, curious. Tightening his grip, Deidara carefully followed a foot-wide path that went into the waterfall. Heart racing, Ino slowly followed. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, allowing her a stronger control of where her feet went.

The ledge was wet and slippery with resident moss. Ino slipped, and would have fallen into the waters below, had Deidara not been there. But he was, and he caught her before she could fall. He quickly pulled her back to her feet, mouthing, "_Be careful!" _Or maybe he had said it; she couldn't hear her own thoughts over the roar of the waterfall, much less Deidara's voice.

The two walked _through _the waterfall, during which the crushing pressure literally took her breath away. It only lasted a few seconds, though; after that, she was staring down into a dark cave with a speck of light about five hundred yards away. The roar of the waterfall was directly behind them, causing Ino's heart to race with anxiety. Still holding her hand, Deidara motioned for her to follow. It was so dark in the cave, she could barely see his face.

After a while, the waterfall became a small grumbling in the distance. That was when they made it to the other exit - the speck of light. The two emerged from the cave and into the bright sunlight, causing Ino's eyes to burn with the sudden - and intense - change of lighting. Deidara gestured at Ino to look around, and what she saw made her gasp in amazement. The cave had brought them to the middle of a very high mountain that overlooked all of Ame. The horizon was a pretty pale blue from the already-risen sun, the tall trees were greener than her eyes, and the beautiful town seemed to be glowing with the start of a new day. "It's...beautiful," Ino murmured, unable to come up with a better word.

"Un," Deidara nodded in agreement, "Worth the trip."

"Uh-huh." She was at a loss for words. "I never thought a city could be this beautiful." The two of them sat, swinging their legs over the cave's precipice. Ino cuddled up close beside Deidara, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ame is having another festival tonight, un. When the sun sets, they'll be shooting off fireworks. Ino..." -She looked up to him, into his eyes - "Would you like to come watch them with me, un?"

Ino nodded. "Of course." She murmured, hugging close to him. She decided to make every effort to make time at the end of the day for him. She would see those fireworks, no matter what.

It was almost as important as telling Deidara how she felt before he left.

"Oh, Dei," she began, backing off him and looking into his eyes, "I've been meaning to tell you..." Suddenly her vocabulary was stolen from her. "Er..." She decided to compromise. Throwing her arms around him, she kissed him as passionately as she could. He fell back purposely, so that she was lying on top. When she broke for air, she asked, "Do you get it?"

Deidara nodded. "Oh - Hatafuri-san is calling, un."

"I don't hear anything."

Deidara gave a smile that said he knew something she didn't. "Come, we'd better be going, un. Hatafuri-san hates waiting." She helped him up, and they retreated back into the cave.

* * *

Fully dressed in her pajamas, Ino followed after a fully-uniformed Deidara to the Meeting Room.

Everyone was there, seated at the table, except for the leader, of course. There was one major change, though: The leader was prefectly visible. Ino had to admit it, he was scary. Piercings riddled his face: there were six studs in each ear, along with a bar that went straight through; three studs through the bridge of his nose, and a set of snakebites that jutted out from his lower lip. He had spiky orange hair - the same style as Uzumaki Naruto's - and cold steel eyes. The very sight of him washed Ino's nerves over with icewater, stealing her breath. She wanted more than anything to turn and run.

"Sit," the leader commanded. In response, her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground, her legs in the shape of a pretzel.

"I don't think he meant 'where you stand,' un." Deidara told her, helping her up. He took his normal seat beside Sasori and pulled her down, so that she was forced to sit on his lap.

She felt her face go redder than Sasori's hair.

"Now," the leader began, a little irritation in his voice, "let's begin. If Sasori and Deidara are sucessful in their retrieval, we will need another person for the Sealing Jutsu. For this purpose, Itachi and Kisame have suggested that we hasten Ino's initiation process - that we skip Kakuzu and Hidan's trial periods and simply get things started."

Ino's jaw dropped. _This whole thing is about me? _She thought, her heart racing in nervousness. _What's more; this was Kisame and Itachi's idea..._She found no reason to close her mouth.

"Tell us," the leader began, "why should we replace Orochimaru with _you_, Yamanaka Ino?"

Ino's throat went dry. She scanned the table for information, then found what she wanted to say. "I know the Jinchuuriki you're after." Silence filled the room. "Uzumaki Naruto, right? And the Kazekage Gaara." Ino plowed on.

Sasori chuckled. "She _always _knows more than you'd think."

"Yes," the leader agreed, "How do you know of our intentions?"

"Well, Naruto has this sensei he follows. Calls him 'Ero Senin.' Uh...I think his name was Jariya...or something..."

"Jiraiya?" The leader asked.

"Yup! One of the Three Legendary Senin, I think."

"Hn. What were you saying?"

"Oh yeah! Anyway, that Jiraiya sensei of Naruto's has been keeping tabs on you. He's been trying to figure out your intentions since that first attack on Naruto by Itachi-kun and Kisame-san. It was Jiraiya behind the movements of the ANBU. That's how I was assigned to that mission where I met these two. And Uzumaki Naruto is also directly connected to Uchiha Sasuke, who's married now to Tsunade's apprentice, Haruno Sakura. If I may, I suggest going agter Naruto first. Naruto's deeply connected with the Kazekage as well, so if you're going after _him _first, Naruto will come to his aid, most likely bringing his strongest buddies against him."

"Bad," Deidara translated.

"Agreed. Ino has proved herself a useful tool. Any opposed?"

Silence.

"Very well then." The leader completed a jutsu, and suddenly, something invisible slammed onto her from the side, causing her to slip off Deidara's lap and fall onto the floor. Alien memories and thoughts collided with her own, jumbling things up in an unpleasant way.

The first voice she heard was Itachi's. _Foolish Ototo..._It coresponded with a scene of his dead parents in front of him, and Sasuke a few feet away, shouting, "Brother! Mother and Father are..."

"Foolish Ototo," Ino repeated without realizing it.

Sasuke let out a scream of terror and the scene changed.

Elder Chiyo stood before her, her face grave. "Sasori," she murmured softly, "your Mother and Father were killed on their mission by Konoha's White Fang."

"Nngh," Ino called out, "White Fang..."

Puppets of a man with red hair and a woman with black hair embraced her of her own accord.

The scene changed, and Ino felt a terrible need to explode. A few yards away was Sasori in Hiruko and Itachi, along with the Akatsuki leader. Ino made to attack, sending Chakra to her clay art.

Laughing maniacally, Ino shouted, "Boom!" Insanse laughter followed once more.

Another scene change. Now she was with the Seven Legendary Swordsmen, during snack time. She looked down to a delicious piece of raw fish and bit into it with razor-sharp teeth, devouring it a little too quickly.

"Take it slow, Kisame," one of the swordsmen advised.

"My fishie!" Ino shouted, both aloud and in her hallucination.

Scene change. This time she was in some sort of room with nothing but a razor-sharp kunai. She looked down to scarless arms with a sadistic smile, and cut into them, eyes widdening at the beautiful crimson blood that oozed from her tender skin.

"Fuck yeah!" She shouted in both realities, "Pretty, pretty, blood..."

In her thoughts, a woman let out a shrill scream. "What are you?! Get away from her!"

"I'm not a freak!" Ino shouted again, not realizing that she was still using her vocal cords. "_It's okay, Zetsu, just tear their bodies to shreds and eat them up. It's okay...It tastes good..." _Bloodlust overtook her. She felt an incredible urge to take a body and eat it.

"Jiraiya-sensei!" Two children's voices called out; a boy and a girl. The girl running along beside her had pretty blue hair with a white rose in it. "Teach us more jutsu!" They called as they attacked a very-young-looking Jiraiya.

Then it changed. The blue-haired girl was sobbing. "Nagato...You killed him! You killed Nagato, you murderer!"

Anguish.

_Stitches. _Stitches everywhere. She was in complete control of them. "Money. Money is the answer to all...Must secure finances and join Akatsuki...More money there..."

The scenes and voices accelerated until she was unable to comprehend what the memories were saying. "N-no!" A single voice shouted, jarring everything to rest.

Ino opened her eyes to see that she was sitting on the floor, hands covering her face. Her breathing was erratic, and suddenly she knew the answers to the gaps of her knowledge in what the Akatsuki was planning. Everything suddenly made sense.

Closing her eyes again, Ino steadied her breathing. Slowly, her heart calmed along with it. The memory of experiencing all of that lingered just behind her conscious, making her feel tired. Somehow, she knew the first thing she said wouldn't be her own words.

Carefully, Ino got to her feet. She swayed a little, but was otherwise alright. She opened her mouth to speak, but the wrong words came out. With a sadistic smile, she said, "Foolish little Ototo. Run. Run and hide like the coward you are. If you must live, settle for hating me. Detest me. You are not worth killing."

_No, no, _she thought with a shake of her head, _that's not what you wanted. Try again. _

"These are just puppets, they cannot - "

Ino stopped herself and angrilly threw her fist down on the table, using the other to pinch the bridge of her nose. She closed her eyes in concentration; the pain made the voices that weren't hers go away.

"Art is - "

She slammed her fist again, harder.

"What the fuck was that?" Ino sighed, settling for Hidan's words.

"The jutsu we, as Akatsuki, use to stay connected. Telepathy," the leader answered. No - _her _leader. Hatafuri-san.

"What about the memory thing?" She was grinding her nails into her palm, which pushed the memories away.

"It helps tune your thoughts to ours. You now know everything about each of us, and we know everything about you. Precautions, if you will. This way we know your intentions. And you know ours."

_Equivalent Exchange, _a voice whispered throughout her thoughts. It belonged to Hatafuri-san.

_That's you, Hatafuri-san? _

_Yes. We've eliminated the need for speech with this jutsu, so that no one will be able to eavesdrop uninvited. _

_Hello! _A happy voice shouted. It was Deidara's.

_Ohiyo goyzamas, _Konan called.

_Ino. _Itachi acknowledged with what she felt to be a nod.

_Bitch, _Hidan called with the feeling of a smile.

_I have a name, _she answered the Jashinist.

_Inu it is. _He was still sending that smiling feeling.

Ino sent over a frown-feeling. She tried to, anyway.

_Hmm, artistic thoughts, _Sasori told her.

_At least she's not big on shopping..._Kakuzu replied.

_Just keep swimmin', just keep swimmin', just keep swimmin' swimmin' swimmin..._Kisame sang with a large smile-feeling.

Ino followed everyone else by responding to the fish-man's song with the feeling of throwing things at him.

_Hmm, she's still a virgin, _Zetsu's white side told everyone. His other half, the black, replied, _Virgins taste the best, you know._

_You caught on fast! _Deidara told her.

_No 'un'? _She asked him.

_It's a speech impediment, not a thought one. _

_Damn, I like the un. _

_Open your eyes, _Sasori interjected.

Ino did as she was told and saw the other nine Akatsuki had their eyes open and were staring at each other.

"Now," Hatafuri-san said aloud, "your ring." He threw it over.

She caught it thoughtlessly, with her right hand. As if with magic, it put itself on her pinkie finger, tightening to fit her snugly. The kanji on it read 'void.'

"Void?" Ino said aloud, staring down at it.

"Formerly worn by Orochimaru." Hatafuri-san answered. "Now, go with Konan and take your measurements." Konan stood soundlessly and began to walk away. Ino quickly followed after her.

They entered the first door they passed. Closing it behind her, Konan motioned for Ino to take her shirt off.

She had always hated this part.

Cold against the air, Ino wished she could cover herself up again. Coldly, Konan wrapped measuring tape around her bust and took the measurement. "C 40," the blue-haired kunoichi murmured. "You can put your shirt on now." Ino thankfully did so. "You have strong feelings for Deidara." It wasn't a question. Konan's careless voice rivaled that of Itachi's, making her feel like icewater was being poured over her. "The others noticed, but won't say anything of it. We know about privacy and, although this jutsu cuts is terribly short, we respect it. They know about your feelings for Deidara now. He does as well, but he's waiting for you."

Ino was unable to verbalize her thoughts. "Puppets - " she stopped herself before she could finish Sasori's sentence. Instead, she bit down on the inside of her lip, regaining control. "I mean, how do I stop them from knowing what I'm thinking?"

"You'll learn overtime."

"Hn." Ino answered. She stopped herself from thinking anything, trying her hardest to hide her dissapointment.

Konan fell silent after that.

They returned to the rest of the Akatsuki, who had now started small conversations amongst themselves. _Why bother speaking? _She asked as she said on Deidara's lap again.

_It's good to hear your own voice too, along with those of other's. _Dediara answered.

_I feel kinda...Invaded. _

Deidara sent over a laugh. _It happens. You'll get used to it eventually. _

Ino played with his hand, teasing the mouth on his palm and gently feeling the fingers. _So...I'll be able to talk to you even after you leave? _

_Yup. I'll probably be busy most of the time, though. _

_You're excused from classes today, _Hatafuri's voice echoed throughout her thoughts, _So that your mind and body have time to recover. _

Ino sent over a nod. _Hai. _

"Perfect," Deidara said aloud, standing. "Let's go somewhere, un!" He took her hand and began to move off. Smiling, Ino followed after him, glad to have the entire day with him.

He brought her to his room. "Get changed, un." He murmured as he gave her a little push, closing the door behind her.

Ino did so quickly, swapping her pajamas for her outfit, the one that covered nothing but the necessities. She fixed her hair quickly, then returned to Deidara, who was waiting for her. "Hello there, stranger," she greeted him with a smile," What are we gonna do today?"

Deidara smiled in response, answering, "I wanted to show you more views from the mountain, un."

They happy mood stayed with the two of them as they made their way to the waterfall. They talked about nothing, but all of that nothing-talk meant everything to Ino. Her heart was like a hummingbird's, but in a happy way. She was enjoying her time with him, not worrying about anything. She felt nothing but love for the man walking alongside her.

They reached the waterfall, and Deidara took her hand. "At the top, un." He told her, and the jumped up to it.

Without the demand of combat, Ino was able to soak in her surroundings. The leaves of the trees on either side of the waterfall's stream were an amazing show of color; with the changing seasons, they had turned yellow, orange, and red. The yellows were as bright as Deidara's hair against the black bark, both making the other sharper, more outstanding. The oranges and reds resided together, filling Ino's heart with warm admiration. The waterfall's stream was perfectly clear, allowing Ino to see through to the not-so-distant bottom, which was beautifully decorated with rocks of all shapes and hues. "Wow," Ino breathed, taking it all in.

"Un," Deidara answered, taking her hand again and holding her close, "Zetsu keeps everything like this. Pretty, I mean, un."

"Really?" Ino broke her gaze away from the scenery around her long enough to look over at Deidara.

"Un. He doesn't like his habitat ruined, so he takes care of it."

"Oh, then should we go somewhere else?"

"No, it's okay, un. Hatafuri-san made him share." Deidara made to move off anyway, and Ino made no arguments against it.

They ascended the mountain a little, and Deidara motioned for her to stop. He brought her over to a very familiar cliff, the same that they had ventured out to before, through the waterfall. The cave leading back to it was directly behind them now. "Do you remember?" Deidara asked her with a smile.

"The same place we were at before. I wouldn't forget this view for my life..." They sat on the cliff's precipice again, as they had yesterday, dangling their legs over the edge. A smile creeped over Ino's face, a reaction to the beautiful sight. It was around ten in the morning now; the city was awake and fully functioning. Ino had to bite her tongue in order to keep from asking Deidara if he wanted to get a hotel. An excessive...urge overtook her, and she wanted nothing more than to see Deidara naked. Her mouth watered with a fierce intensity, and she looked over at him.

The blonde looked more beautiful than ever as he looked down the village of Ame, leaning forward a little and using his arms as support, swinging his legs over the cliff's edge. The sun was hitting at just the right angle, making his blonde hair blonder and his pastel blue eyes bluer. His smile lit up his face, making him almost cherubic in its effect.

"Dei?" Ino called softly, and he looked over to her. "Um...You wanna..." -She cleared her throat--"go somewhere, uh, more private?" She blushed bright red and avoided his gaze.

Smiling still, Deidara asked, "Like where?" He drew closer to her, making his sweet breath fall on her neck.

"Erm," Ino's voice faltered as she pushed back from him, trying to cover where he was breathing on with her hand, "Ah..."

"Your face is bright red, un." Deidara mumured, getting closer still.

Was he teasing her like this on purpose, or was she giving mixed messages again?

She didn't know. Kami, she didn't know.

Shaking, Ino leaned toward Deidara, their lips meeting. The blonde grunted in her mouth, causing shivers to go down her spine and her arms to fail her. Without conscious thought, she slowly fell onto her back, allowing Deidara to take over.

Carefully, Deidara laid on her, barely holding himself up. He buried his face in her neck and hummed, causing deadly shivers to spread throughout her body. She dared to utter his name, "Deidara!" needfully as the shivers raveged her nerves, causing her to tightly wrap her arms around him and arch upwards.

"Un?" Deidara answered teasingly, still at her neck. She whined as her nerves happily caught on fire.

"Um...I...forgot..." Her mind had gone perfectly blank, making more room for the feelings to alight.

"Un," Deidara mumured, smiling against her neck as she fought for breath. "You know," he began again, moving to look her in the face, "you have adorable facial expressions."

Ino managed a weak laugh as she twirled Deidara's golden hair around her fingers. "Dei, I..." _Love you, _her conscience mumured, but she still found her tongue tied in restriction. Her conscience was not a thought - Deidara couldn't hear it. Sighing, Ino settled for her second choice. "I...think we should...go somewhere away from the base for a while."

"Name the place, un." He whispered, getting closer to her ear and toying with nearby hair.

"Ah...I don't know Ame very well...Somewhere with a...um..." _Onsen, _her conscience completed.

Deidara was looking down on her again, his visible pastel-blue eye large and patient. Ino took a deep breath, ungluing her eyes from his in a vain attempt to clear her mind.

"A hotel." She finally managed, after claming her eyes shut.

"Hmm? Why?"

Ino opened her eyes and silently pleaded with him, begging him not to ask.

Deidara must have picked up on her message because, nodding, he got off her and stood, helping her up. "Okay, if you want, un..." He sounded curious.

Ino followed the blonde as he led her down the mountain from where they stood. "Hey," Ino began, putting her thoughts for later aside, "if we can get down this thing, can't people get up?"

"Of course, un."

"Aren't you guys worried they'll find the base?"

"It's under a genjutsu, un. There's no way anyone can find the door unless they already know its an illusionary technique."

"Oh, right." His words had sparked someone else's shared memory. The genjutsu had no effect on those the Akatsuki chose. She guessed she wouldn't have any more problems with finding her way around, either.

"Things are starting to make sense to you, un? All the blanks filling in?"

"Yeah," Ino murmured softly, looking down to her feet. "We're going to sacrifice the nine Jinchuuriki we collect so that we have enough power to take over all of the Hidden Villages. We have three so far."

"That's correct, un. I was the newest member, before you, you know. I learned everything the same way, un. You'll adjust quicker than before, now that nothing's hidden from you."

"Yeah," she repeated, unsure of what else to say. "Um, Dei, do you know how to...stop the others from knowing what you're thinking?"

"It's pretty hard, un. You have to image something like a brick wall or thick metal encasing your thoughts, and you have to keep that at the back of your mind constantly."

"Can you do it?"

"Un. Try it."

Ino obliged, imagining her brain incased by metal. She imagined her thoughts drifting around her brain, but being unable to escape the metal's hold. Then, she imagined someone else's thoughts trying to seep into the metal. They were unsucessful.

"Wow, you caught on quick, un." Deidara complimented.

"This was how I escaped Itachi's Mangekyou," Ino whispered softly.

"Un, we saw that."

"Oh, right."

"You seem distracted, un." Deidara observed.

"Umhm..." Ino murmured, trying to control the fantasies raging through her mind. There was no way she'd let Deidara see them. They were too...provocative.

They reached the end of the mountain's forest and stopped for Deidara while he removed his cloak and headband. After carefully folding his cloak, Deidara hid both in a nearby bush. When he returned, Ino untied his hair for him, gently kissing him as she did so. Deidara smiled against her lips, wraped his arms around her.

"Shall we go?" She asked, her lips colliding a with his a little as she spoke.

"Un," Deidara mumured, holding her a little longer. He let her go, and they continued on into the village, hand in hand.

* * *

They took the first hotel they came across. The receptionist had pretty blue eyes that got brighter when he regocnized Deidara. "Eh, Deidara, got another?" He asked, jutting his thumb in Ino's direction.

Ino glared at him and flashed the ring on her right pinkie.

The receptionist paled and nodded. "Gomenasai." He immediately turned around and plucked the very first key off a set of keys and handed them to Deidara. "Room 38. Enjoy your stay, for as long as you need to."

"Tell room service to skip us, okay?" Ino whispered to the receptionist as Deidara moved off. The receptionist gave a knowing smile and nodded.

Ino left then, catching up with Deidara. "You know this place any?" She asked, guessing at the answer.

"Un. I used to, ah...bring a lot of girls through here."

"It doesn't bother me," Ino told him, noticing his uncomfort.

Deidara was silent as they took a left down the hall. When he found the right door, he unlocked it and opened it, motioning for Ino to enter.

The interior was sort of cute in its effect; the one bed inhabiting the room was to the right, bordered on either side by little nightstands that held round, pink lamps. One of the stands held a black digital clock. There was a television set directly across from the bed, on the left. To the television's right was a small round table, with a coffee maker and two mugs. To top it all off, a window was in front of them at the far end of the wall, that gave good view of the sky for fireworks.

Sadly enough, this place was the only one not to have an onsen. However, Ino was able to forgive that.

The first thing Ino did when she got inside was pull the curtains of the window shut. If things were to proceed the way she wanted them to, it was best people from the outside could not look in.

Deidara closed the door behind him, and she turned around to face him. The clock on the nightstand closest to her read 11:30, AM. She vaguely wondered just how long it would take, but shoved it out of her thoughts. Instead, she took Deidara's hand and pulled him onto the bed with her. Still sitting upright, she planted her lips on his, her hands creeping up his shirt. Deidara picked up on this and, gently pushing her back onto the bed, sent his hands up to her hair, untying it. The mouths on his palms kissed and licked her scalp, wetting her hair.

Like the morning before - Kami, it felt like years ago - she let her hands push his shirt over his head. He helped, and threw it aside when it was completely removed. Deidara sat on her pelvis, and looked down on her, his golden hair hanging down over his shoulders. Ino felt, for the first time, that a god was looking down on her. "What are you thinking, un?" He asked as he licked at her earlobe the way she loved.

"You're a god," she whispered, almost embarrased at such a strong glorification.

Deidara chuckled a little as he worked his way up her shirt. The mouths on his palms licked and sucked, causing a sharp gasp of excitement to escape her lips. Deidara's artistic fingers traced over her breasts, subtly unclipping her bra from behind. Ever-so-carefully, Deidara removed her bra completely, tossing it aside. He stared down at her all the while, his visible eye asking for permission. Ino didn't stop him.

"Um, Dei, can we...get under the covers? It's kinda cold in here..." Smiliing, Deidara sat upright and allowed her to scurry out from underneath him. Like a proper gentleman, Deidara held the blankets up for her, and she rushed underneath. Smiling, the blonde followed after her, snuggling up close. An angry blush swept over Ino's face as she turned around to face him.

"Where were we?" Deidara whispered, getting on top of her again. He held himself above her, on his hands and knees. His lips brushed against the crook of her neck as he spoke. "Is this what you brought me here for, un?" At the 'un,' he planted his lips on her neck, causing more deadly shivers to travel up and down her spine.

Gasping as her arms wrapped themselves around Deidara, Ino managed a "Yes," as her breath escaped from her lips. She arched upwards, wincing with pleasure.

"Really?" Deidara asked, looking down on her.

Ino gave a firm nod.

"All the way, un?"

She nodded again, refusing to let the skeptical thoughts arise.

Thunder cracked from outside. Both Ino and Deidara looked over to the window in time to see a bright flash, followed by a torrent of rain from the heavens. "Hmm?" Deidara asked, slinking off the bed and to the window, pulling back the shades a little, "Wierd. It was beautiful out before, un."

Inside her thoughts, Ino felt Hatafuri send over a smile. He had made it rain for her, because, after being in her mind, he had known that she had always wanted to loose her virginity in the rain.

_Arigato, Hatafuri-san, _Ino thought, blocking Deidara from acessing it.

_Anytime, _Hatafuri answered. The smile feeling didn't fade as he left her thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Ino joined Deidara in front of the window. The rain was heavy; it slammed against the window. The wind blew fiercely outside, and suddenly, the power in the hotel went out. Sighing, Ino watched the rain fall, remembering that she had always wanted to loose her virginity in the rain.

Deidara took her hand in his and tugged her back over to the bed. Ino snuggled under the covers, realizng that her bra was off but her shirt wasn't, and Deidara followed after her, hovering above her once again. Smiling fondly, Ino wraped her arms around him. "Ino," Deidara began, his voice unsure, "are you sure about this, un? Once you give it away, it doesn't come back."

"You can have it. Think of this as a...going away present," she answered, gently tracing her fingers over his chest. "This is what I want."

Nodding, Deidara passionately kissed her neck whilst simultaneously sending his hands up her shirt. The mouths on his hands affectionately attacked her breasts, causing her to gasp and clamp her eyes shut in ecstacy. Slowly, Deidara pulled her shirt off and threw it to the side.

The cold air hit her, causing a grunt to escape her lips. Deidara placed both hands on either brest, causing shivers of pleasure of go down her spine. Smiling against her lips, Deidara glidded his hands down her body, the mouths licking her all the while. His artistic fingers gently grabbed the belt of her skirt, and teasingly dipped inside. The foreign touch made her arch upwards in ecstacy, gasping in delight. She had no choice but to call out his name.

Deidara's hands slipped out of her pants and worked at the button holding it together. He moved down her chest, leaving a trail of kisses behind, whilst simultaneously pulling her skirt down. Without realizing exactly what was going on, Ino found herself completely naked before Deidara. "N-nani?" She murmured, surprised at how cold the room really was.

Smiling against her belly button, Deidara slipped a finger into her entrace, causing her to take in a sharp breath. Deidara chuckled at her reaction and wriggled in another. He messaged her folds, lavishing the mosture within, opening and closing her entrance. Wonderful sensations traveled up and down her spine - throughout her entire body - causing her to wince in pleasure and arch upwards. Deidara softly held her down with his left hand, removing his right's fingers and replacing them with his palm. For an intense second, there was nothing. Ino realized how out of breath she was, and loved it.

The mouth on his palm ejected its tongue then, hitting her most sensitive point, hidden within. Ino took a deep breath, her hips begging to move. She jolted underneath Deidara's gentle grip, silently pleading with him to be freed. If he knew what she wanted, he didn't show it. Instead, he moved up to her lips and planted his there. He retracted his hand and, backing away from her, asked, "Are you ready, un?"

"Y-yes," she managed.

Nodding, Deidara hitched her legs over his shoulder, causing his member to brush against her entrance. Ino groaned in both inpatience and pleasure, throwing her head back against the pillows. Slowly, he slipped his tip in and continued on. Ino winced and began to cry out, but was stopped by a kiss. "Ssh," Deidara murmured as he continued in.

He stopped suddenly, as if he had hit a barrier. Exhaling, Ino opened her eyes to see the bishie looking down on her with a questioning look on his face. As if she knew what he was asking, she gave a firm nod.

Once given the permission he wanted, Deidara slammed into her the rest of the way. Ino began to cry out in pleasure, but her cries were muffled when Deidara kissed her. Slowly, he began a rythem to his thrusts; left, right, up and down. Wincing in pleasure, Ino called out his name as she felt something quickly approaching. Was was coming? She didn't know.

She felt Deidara slowing down, which was also when she realized her eyes were closed. "Wh-why are you...stopping?" She managed between breaths.

"Do you want me to continue, un?"

"Yes!" She exhaled.

"Un." Smiling, Deidara nearly puled out of her, then slammed back in again. Ino cried out, and he did not stop her.

"Nnaagh! Keep...going! Faster! Aaah, I'm almost...there!" Her hands had buried themselves in his hair and were needfully gripping at the roots. With each call and pant she made, Deidara upped the speed and friction. "Aah! Just a little...more!"

At this, Deidara kissed her neck, the smile never fading, and mumured, "Un."

This was the push she needed. Shivers ran down her spine, she arched upwards, and produced some sort of liquid. "Oh, I didn't know I had to..."

Smiling, Deidara stopped her with a kiss and murmured, "My turn, un." Without warning, Deidara released something warm into her. Semen. "Hmm...Sorry, un." Deidara murmured as he laid on her fully, "We get tired after we cum."

Ino took in deep, steadying breaths and cried out as the feelings began to diminish. "Yeah," she breathed, unable to say anything else. A tear silently rolled down her cheek.

Deidara slipped out of her, causing her to invoulentarily whine. He stared down at her for a moment before sighing and saying, "Alright, one more trick, before I'm done. To make you feel better later." He slipped under the privacy of the blankets and followed her body down.

He stopped at her entrance and placed a mouth over it, sending its tongue in. Just like that, the electric tingles returned, causing her hips to arch upwards.

One hand held down her right hip whilst the other rested on her left shin.

Deidara was using his actual mouth.

It was too pleasureable for her to do anything but moan happily. She felt Deidara's tongue circle around her clitoris, felt his teeth nibble it a little. She whined happily, her hips fighting Deidara's hold.

Deidara returned to her before she could get used to the feeling, causing her to feel empty. He sighed in exhaustion, laying on her again, and buried his face into her neck. "We started at noon, un?"

"Yeah," Ino murmured, feeling just as exhausted as Deidara sounded.

"It's five now. That's the longest it's ever taken me, un. But,"-he smiled against her neck--"it was worth it." He kissed it softly and inserted two fingers into her entrance again and began messaging it.

"Dei, what are you - "

"This'll make you feel better when you wake up later, un. You're tired now - go to sleep."

"You're tired too," she argued, but closed her eyes anyway. She felt Deidara make himself comfortable, lying his head between her neck and shoulder and resting his other hand between her breasts. His strawberry-clay breath soon beacme all she thought about, and in a matter of minutes, she was completely out.

They never had a chance to watch the fireworks together.

* * *

**A/n **

**Translations: **

**Bishie - Pretty Boy **

**Hatafuri - Leader **

_**Ino didn't care that she was living up to her name - **_**Here, she was acting like a boar, or pig, which is what 'Ino' translates into. **

**Arigato - Thanks **

**Gomenasai - I'm very sorry **

**Domo arigato - Thank you very much (Whereas 'arigato' simply means 'thanks' or 'thank you.') **

**Teme - Bastard **

**Kuso - Damnit **

**Nani - What? **

**Sensei - Teacher**

**Ototo - Little Brother **

**Ohiyo Goyzamas - Super-polite way of saying good morning. **

_**Inu it is - **_**He called her a bitch, which is female dog. Ino said she had a name, and Hidan gave her Inu because it's so close to her actual name, but still means dog. **

**Kunoichi - female ninja **

**Hai - Yes/right **

**Kami - God **

**Onsen - Natural hot spring **

**HA! HA! How was that for M-rated for ya?! Took me forever to write and even longer to type (mostly 'cuz I was either grounded or just lazy) but I finally got it done! Please PLEASE review so that I can learn!! **


	8. Day 12

**Chapter 8**

She didn't remember falling asleep that night, but when she awoke, she was beside Deidara in his bed. As always, he looked like an angel while he slept, his breath sweet in her nostrils. A warm, happy feeling engulfed her, causing her to smile. Gently, she traced her fingers around his face and down his neck to his collarbone, which was covered by his fishnet shirt. He was moist all over - Ino came to the conclusion that he had taken a shower, then climbed back into bed with her. Without realizing what she was doing, Ino allowed her hands to slip up his shirt and feel around. She buried her face in his chest as she did so, her heart skipping beats.

"Look at this - I'm being raped in my sleep, un." Deidara murmured.

Ino gasped in surprise, began to remove her hands. "Oh, I'm s - "

She was cut offf when Deidara hugged her close and murmured, "I told you before - it's yours, un." He rolled onto his back, using his hands as a pillow, and chuckled. "You still have that look in your eyes. Not as obvious, but it's there, un."

Both yawning and smiling, Ino retrieved her hands and rolled onto her back as well, sitting up. They were still in the hotel. The clock on the nightstand told her it was almost three in the morning. "So," she began softly as a thousand pounds of sorrow descended on her heart, "you and Sasori leave today?"

"Un," Deidara mumbled as he sat alongside her. "But, if the Ichibi Gaara comes as peacefully as planned, we'll both be back unscathed."

"Sorry, but I don't think it's going to work out so smoothly. I mean, Gaara-sama is Kazekage now. Why would he give up that title after all he's been through to achieve it? He's not going to give up everything he's got now that he's just attained it."

"Un," he agreed. "Attaning Jinchuurikis is never this difficult. In the two other cases that one was obtained, they were socially distant from their peers. But these two..." He put his hand on the back of his head and shook it softly in thought.

"Gaara-sama and Naruto-kun are close because they share a similar feeling of childhood lonliness. Naruto-kun knew what it felt like to be alone, but also how wonderful friendships were. He taught Gaara-sama the importance of intra-person relationships and what it feels like to are about people. Gaara-sama learned that he needed to live through struggles before people began to acknowledge him. All because of Naruto-kun." Ino fell silent and looked to her hands as they lay in her lap.

"How do you know so much, un?"

"Naruto-kun was...a good friend. He was the first person to notice my depressed moods and tried to help." She chuckled weakly, looking up to the ceiling. "He always did everything in his power to cheer me up, even though I never smiled back then..." Her eyes closed in rememberance, and she heaved a heavy sigh.

"You're alright with us killing him for the Kyuubi, un?"

"Of course not. That's why, while you and Sasori are on the mission, I'm going to learn as much as possible in all areas. If there's a way to preserve Naruto-kun and Gaara-sama's life even after the extractions, I will find them. We're bettering their live anyway, right?"

"Hmm...I suppose so, un." There was a silence for a moment, then he said, "You need to shower." Ino whined and cuddled up against him, fearing that, by showering, she would wash him away when he was leaving her already. "Come," he urged, "I'll go with you." He kissed her cheek and helped her to her feet.

"Hey," she noticed, looking down, "I'm still naked."

Deidara chuckled as he led her to the bathroom. He closed the door behind her, locked it, then began the process of taking his clothes off. Ino watched him intently, hungrilly. As if nothing had happened the night before.

Once he was completely stripped of clothes, he looked up at Ino and smiled when he realized how intently she was staring. "Like what you see, un?" He whispered in her ear as he held her close, pressing his pelvis against her thigh. Ino grunted as she melted in his grasp. Deidara laughed and gently tugged her into the shower.

Deidara turned the water on to a comforting temperature, then turned back to Ino and held her close. Yawning, Ino laid her head on his chest, wanting to sleep all over again. She wraped her arms around him, ignoring that pesky little length of his that was semi-hard. Deidara moved so that she was at the recieving end of the water, and she yawned again as the comfortable warmth ran down her back. Softly, her lover kissed her neck and moved upwards, leaving a trail of kisses, until he reached her mouth. Gently holding her neck, he kissed her passionately and lovingly, as if afraid she'd dissapear between his hands. Ino returned the kiss, needfully wrapping her arms around his neck and gripping at his skin in a way that excited him - she could tell by the reaction...below.

Then suddenly, Deidara's hands spurred themselves into action. They removed their gentle grasp from around her neck, sliding down the curves of her body, using the water as lubrication. Down, down her back they went, until they met her butt. Deidara's right hand gripped her gently, whilst his left explored her back more. Ino whined in pleasure - an undesireable pleasure, because she was so tired - and clung tighter to her love. His right hand explored her in a way that made both of them smile as the warm water hit them. Feeling bad, Ino conjured up all the will she had and turned the two of them around so that Deidara got some of the water. She didn't want him to get too cold.

Ino noticed Deidara move his gaze from her to a bar of soap resting on a small ledge in the corner of the shower. She felt him stretch for it, then let her go and wet it against the shower's water. He turned back to her with a smile - one the forced her to smile back - and gently ran the soap along her body. Half-purposely and half-automatically, Ino pressed her body closer to his with a small grunt of satisfaction. Smiling as he kissed her and ran the soap along her body, Deidara again pressed his now-fully-erect member against her. Ino opened her eyes and looked down at it, curiously watching as it pulsated.

She caught Deidara's eye and he backed off her just enough to ask, "What are you going to do with that, un?" A teasing smile caressed his features as he ran the soap along the curves of her breasts.

Smirking, Ino grabbed his length in her right hand whilst tightly holding his shoulders with her left and pumped.

Deidara cried out in both pleasure and surprise and dropped the soap as he leaned onto her. "I," he panted, "didn't expect you to do that, un." He whispered against her lips, hardly able to control his breathing.

Ino chuckled at his reaction and continued on with her routine. Deidara whispered her name as he kissed her neck and thrust forward. "Un," he hummed against her neck, causing her hips to arch forward, against his. Cruelly, Deidara backed away, looking into her eyes, and murmured, "We should stop before we're nothing but a orgie-pit, un."

Instantly knowing what he meant, Ino whined in dissapointment. "But _Dei..._" She whined, putting on the cutest pouting-face she knew she had.

His face was slightly pink, she noticed. "No. You're done - I need to shower again and uh..." His face adopted an even darker shade of red. "Anyway, leave."

Grunting with displeasure, Ino obliged and dried herself off outside the shower. _You should really get someone who would do that for you, _she thought with a scowl. Kami, she was jealous when he tried to control herself.

_Geez, _she thought, _I'm a whore. _

Cleaning up quickly, she left the bathroom and threw herself onto their-used bed and closed her eyes. The bed smelled like Deidara, and that alone was enough to put her to sleep again.

* * *

She awoke in Deidara's arms as he jumped up the side of the Akatsuki mountain, towards the base. Yawning as her thoughts cleared, Ino looked up to Deidara in an affectionate way and gently rested her right hand on his cheek. He was so beautiful, she couldn't help but smile when her vision focused.

"Oh, you're up, un." Deidara said softly, not looking down at her. "I thought I'd have to leave before you woke up again, and I wouldn't be able to do that."

Ino smiled fondly, appreciating the warmhearted-ness. She yawned and stretched a little, then thanked him for the ride.

"No need to thank me, un. Just relax." He told her. Ino couldn't help but smile.

They made it to the base then, and Deidara carried her all the way to their room, completely ignoring the jeers Hidan and Kisame gave as they passed. Once inside their room, Deidara let her down, and she stood, kissing him affectionately as thanks. "You're so nice," she whispered as she hugged him close.

"Ohiyo," Sasori's voice called as he opened the door and entered. "Heard you were back." Under his left arm was a black cloak with red clouds on it, along with a rice hair and a uniform that would go under the cloak. It was neatly tied together with a string, like a present. "Look at this," he continued, holding the bundle out to Ino, "Your uniform. There's a letter in there, too, I think."

Curious, Ino broke away from Deidara and took the package. A neatly-folded sheet of paper peered out from under the brim of the coned hat, catching Ino's attention. She slipped the paper out of its hiding place and unfolded it, reading through its contents.

"What's it say, un?" Deidara asked eagerly.

"It's my schedule for when you guys leave," she murmured, trying to memorize it. "Kisame-san first, Itachi-kun, Kakuzu-san, and then Hidan-san. Itachi's going to teach me how to fight along with how to handle this telepathic-jutsu. I have to wake up _that _early?!" 5 AM, the instructions read.

"You've never noticed," Sasori answered, "but you've been getting up at that time ever since you got here."

"If breakfast is at nine," Ino asked as she continued to read the paper, "why do we get up so early?"

"Early-morning parring practice, un." Deidara answered, the smile on his face not fading at all. "Looks like Hatafuri-san wants you to grow as strong as possible."

"That was my original plan," she confessed.

"Try your outfit on, un!" Deidara urged, "Sasori-danna, leave!"

Sasori studied his partner with a hint of suspicion in his mercury eyes. "You should join me, brat." He folded his arms in impatience.

"Hn? Oh, no, it's okay, un. Right, Ino?"

Ino went a deep shade of scarlet, but managed a nod. Smiling, her blonde lover laid his right hand on her shoulder and kissed that side of her neck. His free hand went to her other shoulder where it slowly began to pull the sleeve down. Those deadly shivers ran from where he kissed her to her entrance, making her feel incredibly empty inside. She felt herself wince in pleasure, only just realizing that she had closed her eyes.

"You're not a virgin?" Sasori asked, cruelly pulling Deidara away from her. Ino's eyes snapped open, the spell broken, and found herself staring into Sasori's mercury eyes.

"O-oro?" She asked, stumbling back a bit.

"Where were you two last night?" Sasori asked, advancing on her. He turned his head around to Deidara and prodded, "Hmm?"

Deidara opened his mouth to reply, but Ino answered for him. "We had sex." She told him, making every attempt possible to keep her voice neutral. Her face was as red as Sasori's hair, and her heart was racing, but she refused to let it control her.

Sasori turned back to face her, his eyes narrowed. "I see." He studied her for a second more before letting her go. He looked over at Deidara, then back to Ino. "Whose idea was it?"

"M-mine," Ino answered instantly, fighting herself to keep her voice steady.

"Hn," he answered with a nod. "Congradulations." He turned and left without another word. Once the door to their room closed, his voice flooded her mind: _You've got him right where you want him. _His thought fadded, and she refused to put out any waves revealing that she was taken off guard.

"What was that?" Ino murmured as she wrapped her arms around Deidara.

"He always acts like that when he finds out, un," he whispered softly as he began to take her clothes off. He kissed her neck gently as he did so, his hands gliding up her shirt and coaxing it off. "Don't mind him." His lips brushed against hers a little as he spoke, spurring her hands into action. They gently glidded to the front of his body - his chest - and began to work at the snaps holding his cloak together.

Deidara smiled against her lips, but stopped her. "Ah, ah, ah," he stopped her with a mischevious smile, "I need my clothes on, un." His hands continued to greedly travel over her breasts, tugging at her bra. "I'm really gonna miss this," he murmured as he buried his face her neck, inhaling deeply.

"Then don't forget to come back," Ino whispered as she held him close to her. She kissed his neck softly, fighting down the urge to undress him. Deidara continued to undress her gently, carefully, as if she might break. Before she realized what was happening, she stood in Deidara's arms, stripped of her outer clothes. "Wha...what happened to the clothes Sasori gave me?" She looked into Deidara's smiling eyes, unable to look away.

"You dropped them on the floor a while ago, un." Deidara answered with a chuckle.

"O-oh," she stuttered with surprise as she looke dto the floor. There, on her right side, lay the bundled-up uniform that was hers. She retrieved it and untied the string holding it together. Deidara stepped back, allowing her to change. She did so quickly, and he studied her hungrilly from top to bottom. "What do you think?" Ino asked softly, letting her arms drop to either side.

"_Stunning," _Deidara answered, advancing on her again and planting his lips on hers. "My mouth's watering, un." He licked her lips hungrilly, changed position, and repeated. Ino groaned with happiness, holding Deidara close as the emptiness inside demanded to be filled. Deidara's tongue brushed against her lips again, and she opened her mouth, granting entrance. The blonde bishie gasped lightly in delight and rushed his tongue inside, exploring her mouth as though he'd never been inside before. He held her tight, as if afraid of breaking her. Ino did the same, wrapping her arms around his neck and loosely holding her hands together behind him.

They broke for air, and Ino rested her hand on his shoulder, taking in his scent with a deep sigh. "I'm going to miss this," she murmured, nibbling his earlobe.

"Take the time to get stronger, un. I want your power unmatched when I come back." He grunted in pleasure as she nibbled his neck, his hands moving to her hair and beginning to untie it. They sank down onto the floor, exploring each other excitedly, as if they were both virgins again. Deidara broke for air and looked down on her affectionately, using his arms to hold himself above her. "You're so beautiful, un. I won't be able to forget you, even if I wanted to. Ino," -he breathed her name, kissing her neck gently--"you'll be the reason I come back."

Ino cupped his face in her hands and softly began, "Dei, I - "

She was cut off when someone knocked on the door. An annoyed voice followed. "Hurry up, you two!" It was Sasori. "Deidara, save your stength! We're due to leave in an hour."

Sighing, Deidara backed off her and helped her up. They answered the door and moved off with Sasori to the Meeting Room. Ino and her lover ate breakfast together in front of Sasori, enjoying their last hour together. It was amazing just how happy she really was - how ready she was to let him go. Perhaps it was the love he radiated - she couldn't be sure.

Ino walked the two of them to the liar's exit with tears glistening her eyes. Deidara kissed her one last time, putting as much love into it as possible, and Sasori hugged her goodbye. "I'll be stronger when you come back!" Ino shouted a promise at they began to walk off.

"Un!" Deidara shouted in reply, a laugh to his tone. "We'll spar when we get back, so you better be as strong as me!"

"Hai!" Ino shouted, and the artistic duo jumped off. "Bye," she murmured softly, tears welling. "Be careful." She watched them ever aster she could no longer see them. It seemed she was glued to the spot; her feet could not be willed into action, and she could not will herself to will them into action. She just stood there, her body and mind nothing but a shell, as if she had actually gone with them and left her troublesome body behind.

She was forced into alertness by Itachi's cold, emotionless voice. "Ino-chan," he called.

"O-oro?" She replied, turning to face the Uchiha. "Oh, Itachi-kun! Can I help you?"

"My eyes have not completely healed yet."

"Oh, yes! Erm...Is right here fine?" She didn't feel up to leaving this spot just yet. Itachi replied silently, approaching and taking a seat. He laid back onto the cool grass, holding his hands behind his head, using them as a pillow. Ino followed him down, sitting to his left. Holding her fingertips to his temples as she did before, Ino closed her eyes and concentrated on healing the scarred tissue within.

Peering around at the internal damage, Ino gasped at what she saw. Only about twenty-four hours had passed between this healing period and the last, but the damage had quadrupled. No matter how many times she reattempted the healing process, the eyes' strength would only decline. There was no way to repair the damage they sustained.

Sighing, Ino removed her Chakra from Itachi's body and looked down on him, into his onyx eyes. "Itachi-kun...the damage done to your eyes is ireperable. It's gotten _worse _since yesterday."

Itachi sat puright, gave a grave nod. "I knew it would come to this. That is why I've kept Sasuke alive."

The missing pieces suddenly appeared and clicked together in her mind. Out of nowhere, she knew why Sasuke survived. "Oh...yes. I remember now." Sasuke was spared only for his eyes. Itachi had planned on defeating his ototo when his eyes had matured, so that Itachi could take them.

"Erm...Itachi-kun," Ino changed the subject, "Can you teach me how to keep the others out of my thoughts?"

"It is impossible to keep Hatafuri-san out of your thoughts indefinately, but I will teach you how. So was my assigned duty from Hatafuri-san himself. I believe, after sparring with you, that you are worthy of my time."

Ino couldn't hide the smile that crept onto her face. If Itachi wouldn't count her as a friend, at least she had some sort of ally in him. "Would you be willing to teach me how to punch through anything, as well?" An image of Haruno Sakura appeared in her mind's eye.

"Haruno Sakura, hm? I know her technique. It is not something one learns overnight, Ino-chan." The emotionless tone to his voice was still apparent, but Ino found herself more resistant to it; it was as though he had put her under some sort of genjutsu all along and decided to remove it.

_I'm probably starting to get used to it, _she thought.

"What do I get in exchange for training you?" Itachi asked quietly, his voice holding small amounts of threatening venom. Had he picked up on her thoughts?

"What are you asking for?" Ino rebutted. _Not the best rebuttal ever, _she thought, _It'll probably get me killed. _

Itachi fell silent for a long while before answering, "I want you to become someone truly worthy of being Akatsuki, as well as someone worthy of claiming an Akatsuki member as a lover. I do not want you to drag us down."

The polite insult sent powerful jabs at Ino's ego, knowcking her down more and more. "O-oh, hai." She suddenly didn't feel like talking.

Itachi stood, carefully wiping grass off his cloak. "Shall we begin?"

"N-now?" Ino asked, standing as well.

"Sasori-kun and Deidara-chan are expected to be back by the beginning of next month. Time is short."

Ino looked off in the direction where she had last seen Sasori and Deidara. A new courage welled within her, and she nodded vigorously. "Yes, let's begin!" She promised herself that, like the Akatsuki, she would blossom in the new dawn. A warmth spread both across her face and her soul, lighting a firey passion within her heart. _When Deidara comes back, _she thought, _I will be good enough for him. _

* * *

**A/n**

**Translations: **

**Oro - Huh? **

**Bishie - Pretty Boy**

**Ototo - Little Brother**

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Hai - Yes/right **

**This was basically just a bridge chapter for the next one...OMFG FILLERS!! XD All the fluff/sex (mostly sex now) between Dei and Ino is kinda starting to annoy me, so I'm gonna try and tone it down a bit. Please, please, review and tell me what you think! **


	9. Day 43

**

* * *

**

Chapter 9

It had been thirty-one full days, a full month, since Deidara and Sasori had left on their mission to Sunagakure. Although she desperately wanted to cling onto the memories of their faces, Ino silently let them go. They were Akatsuki, destined to travel the world, unable to stay in one place too long. Who was she, a mere kunoichi, to hinder them in their duties? Granted, she was a member as well, but that didn't mean she had a right to stop them or being their willingness to work down. The way she looked at it, she had no right to try and stop them at all. And so she hadn't.

As the last days of September had fallen into October, and with Deidara gone, Ino had trianed harder than ever before to meet up to both Itachi and the Akatsuki's standards. She had learned much from the rest of her peers as well; she could now hold her own in a battle against any of them, was able to hold her breath underwater for three minutes and swim a mile in five minutes, knew the religion of Jashinisim like the back of her hand, and was able to complete simple calculus equations in her head. Unlike Konoha before them, the Akatsuki had sucessfully created an ultimate tool in her. She was above Konoha's meek ANBU standards, joining a class of S-rank nin.

But none of that mattered to Ino. All that really mattered was the impression she made on Sasori and Deidara when they returned. More than anything, Ino wanted to live up to their standards, to be good enough for their friendship.

Currently, Ino sat on the rock that jutted out alongisde the waterfall, crunching on an apple as she read a book on Iwagakure. She dangled one leg over the rock's precipice, keeping the other close. Resting her book on the partially-standing knee, Ino flipped the page, lost in concentration.

_Hmm, _she thought, _Iwa's still bitter over the war it waged with Konoha. _

"No," a very familiar voice answered, stopping Ino's heart in excited nervousness, "we're still in turmoil because of them, un."

Slowly, as if afraid she was hallucinating, Ino craned her neck upwards to meet the eyes that belonged to the voice she'd longed to hear for so long. "D-dei!" Ino happily stuttered. She jumped to her feet in an instant and forced a hug with him as she passionately kissed his lips. Her blonde lover returned the kiss with just as much passion, needfully grabbing the roots of her hair with one arm as he held her close with the other. Excited shivers ran throughout her body, causing her to gasp lightly and hold him tighter. Memories of the night she lost her virginity came rushing back with a fierce intensity, and Ino suddenly realized just how much she needed him.

"_Kami," _Deidara whispered against her lips as he broke for air, "I've missed you, un." He hugged her close, and she rested her head on his chest, loving his simple existance.

"Deidara - " She began, but was stopped by Deidara's sweet voice.

"Ino," he began softly, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke, "you can't have me back until you defeat me in combat, remember? I want to see how you've improved, un."

She frowned deeply and opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by Hatafuri's voice throughout her thoughts before she could. _Sasori, Deidara, Ino - the three of you are to report physically to the Sealing Shrine, whilst the rest of us simply imput our Chakra into it. I have stationed Itachi and Kisame around the area, so attacks should at least be delayed. Kakuzu, Hidan, Konan, and myself are away from you, and so we will only insert our Chakra. Take haste - we have to do this as soon as possible. _

_Un, _Deidara silently agreed, _I kinda made the retrieval public. Gomenasai. _

_No time for apologies, _Hatafuri admonished, _Just go do your job. _

The two of them rushed through the lair, searching for Sasori. They ran down the hallway where his room was located and, without warning, ran head-first into a door as it opened. "Ow," they murmured in unison, on the floor. "Sasori-danna, that hurt, un." Deidara added, rubbing his head where it had collided with Sasori's door.

"Get up, baka." Sasori answered curtly as he took Deidara hand and pulled him onto his feet.

"Aw, Danna, you're so mean!" Deidara whined.

Ino, having gotten up as soon as she had fallen, brushed herself off as she commented on Sasori's behavior.

The puppeteer replied with a gruff curse under his breath as he relinquished Deidara's hand. "Where's the Jinchuuriki?"

"Outside with my bird, un." Deidara answered with a gesture that was meant to tell Sasori not to fret.

"We don't have much time, brat," Saosri warned as he closed his door and moved off. The two blondes followed after him, as if he were a mother duck and they were ducklings. "The Jinchuuriki could wake at any moment."

"Even if he does," Deidara contradicted, "he can't use his arms, un."

"You fought him, baka. You should know he doesn't need his hands for the sand to work." Sasori shook his head, as if ashamed.

They continued to bicker about how Gaara's sand worked. Ino ignored them. She couldn't stop her erratic hearbeat; she knew what was going to hapen to the Shukaku-possessed Kazekage, and she felt guilty for being a part of it. She and Gaara had not been the best of friends, but he had trusted her when visiting Konoha. Not only was she betraying her formal village and everyone in it, Ino was stabbing a kunai into the very fibers of Sunagakure.

She suddenly felt despicable. There was no stopping the tear that rolled down her cheek. How weak of her.

Quickly, before either of her artistic friends could notice, Ino sniffled and wiped away the tear with the back of her hand. She was Akatsuki now; even if t was in front of the two members she trusted the most.

They exited the lair through the front, which Ino vaguely remembered when she had first arrived. It struck her then that she hadn't seen this side of the base since she'd first gotten there. Time had flown by quickly, although she had only been an affiliate - and lately, a member - for the past month and two weeks. So much had happened in such a small amount of time...A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about it.

Before them stood a large clay bird, harborind an unconscious Kazekage in its tail. "He wasn't an easy target, un." Deidara commented as Ino's guilt stopped her wobbling legs. She managed to stand beside Gaara and, without quite realizing it, refulled her fingers in his rough red hair. The poor Shukaku-afflicted Sand nin showed signs of his near-death state; chunks of sand attached to his face slid off like an hourglass' sand, the bags of sleeplessness arouns his eyes darker than a moonless night.

To her surprise, Gaara's eyes fluttered open. For a minute, the pastel green eyes seemed unable to actuallt _look _at anything around him. But then, finally, they rested on her. "I-ino?" The raspy voice showered her with guilt.

Fighting the tears in her eyes, Ino managed a fake smile. "Hey," she managed, the guilt nearly stopping her heart.

He began to focus on his surroundings more. "W-where am I?" Why are you...?" He noticed her Akatsuki uniform and narrowed his eyes in angry suspicion.

A guilty tear fell from Ino's eye and landed on Gaara's cheek. Seemingly ashamed, he closed his eyes again and looked away as best he could. This small act brought more tears sniffling mucus away, she rubbed at both eyes with the sleeves of her cloak, feeling both completely ashamed and rejected. She had abandoned Konoha and Gaara would suffer. Had he already known his fate, long before he had become Kazekage? Did he know this would happen when he agreed to help Sasori? DId he have any part in that at all? So many unanswered questions left her speechless and unable to breathe. "Gaara, I'm - "

"Why shed tears for a Jinchuuriki?" Deidara asked, an honest curiosity to his tone. When Ino looked over at him with tear-filled eyes, he gently wrapped his arms around her. She buried her head deep into his chest and sobbed silently. The soft sound of his beating heart comforted her, proved to her that she wasn't the only person who truly existed in this world. The life beating within Deidara proved beyond a doubt that he was a living creature, just as she was. He was there for her, and as long as he was with her, nothing could harm her. Things would be alright.

In his warm embrace, Ino felt nothing could harm her. Time itself seemed to stop, her worries to fade away. Her heart fluttered happily in her chest whenever he was near, and she was never happier. The mere thought of him made her crack into a smile, and the simple feeling of his fingertips on her skin made her excited in a way she had never been excited before.

Suddenly, the words she had always wanted to admit came springing into her mouth, forcing it into action. "Dei," she murmured as she looked into his eyes, "I love you." A relief washed over her at the confession. The delivery had been perfect; her voice had been clear and firm, but soft with the first-ever confession. Her eyes sparkled with more tears, but they hadn't appeared because she was upset - they had come because she was so relieved. She had finally been able to confess what had been bothering her the most, and it brought more happiness than anything in the world.

Deidara smiled with glee and kissed her passionately. "How I've longed to hear that, un." As he looked down on her again, Ino was happy to noticed that his eyes gleamed with admiration. He held her tight, and she buried her face into his chest once more.

"Come," Sasori broke between them, "we'll be late if we keep all this drama up." His voice had a bit of scourn mixed in with it, sarcasim behind that.

If her blonde lover realized the venom in his Danna's words, he didn't show it. Instead, he wraped an arm around Ino's waist and followed after Sasori as he moved off. Blushing with fierce joy, Ino snuggled in close and tried to hide her smile. If Sasori wasn't there, Ino would have jumped Deidara where they stood, allowing him inside her again. Nothing would have made her happier. She was overtaken with the primitive urge to feel his skin on hers, to have those amazing hands lavish her body again and again.

Smiling devilishly, Ino disconnected her link with the other Akatsuki and sent her desires to Deidara.

The blonde Iwa-nin winced in pleasure and slowed down a little. This amuzed Ino - and excited her - so she continued to allow her feelings to drift over the link and to him.

Then, he did something unexpected; the blonde bishie bent down slightly and whispered in her ear, "Until you beat me, Ino, I won't let you have it." He kissed her earlobe gently before backing off.

Ino whined in displeasure, but he ignored her the rest of the way there.

* * *

They made it to the Biju-Sealing-Shrine five minutes late. Sasori grunted his displeasure, muttering about how he hated to be late, and called out to Hatafuri through the link.

As Deidara disentangled himself from around Ino, Hatafuri appeared at the shrine's site. Hatafuri willed the shrine to appear, and Ino gasped as she stood before it; two massive hands of a monster-like creature with nine eyes, six of which were closed. The monster held a scroll within its mouth. _Assemble_, Hatafuri commanded, and the other six Akatsuki appeared at their proper ring positions. Ino, Deidara, and Sasori jumped to their positions as well after Gaara was knocked unconscious again and left on the floor between the two hands. _Prepare yourselves, _Hatafuri continued, _this extraction jutsu takes three days to complete. Be aware of your physical bodies. And Zetsu - use your longest spying range. Keep an eye out for intruders. _

_Hn, _Zetsu barely acknowledged.

Hatafuri began the jutsu, more formerly known as the 'Nine-Phantom Dragon Sealing Jutsu.' Ino vaguely wondered why a jutsu used to extract a biju was called a sealing jutsu, but put it out of her thoughts. She concentraited on keeping the other nine members out of her thoughts and adding in her thirty-percent of the Chakra needed.

Save for Gaara's wials of pain, it was eerily silent throughout the Akatsuki. Chills ran down Ino'a spine. There was always one Akatsuki that would ruin the silence, but today everyone was perfectly silent and still. It was as if Kakuzu had sewn their mouths shut.

Loosing sight of the task at hand, Ino felt her lips, assuring herself that there was nothing binding them together.

_Ino, _Hatafuri reprimanded, _don't loose sight of the task at hand. We still need thirty percent of your Chakra. _

_Gomen, _she answered through her thoughts as she reapplied her Chakra. And, just like that, the heavy silence fell once more.

Gaara unconsciously wailed as a red substance known as the Shukaku was drawn out of him. A silent, guilty tear rolled down Ino's cheek. With her hands together in the sign of Chakra, she was unable to wipe it away. Demanding herself to get over the guilt and focus, Ino ignored the tear.

* * *

**A/n**

**Translations: **

**Iwagakure - Hidden Village of the Rock/Village Hidden in the Rock**

**Iwa - Rock/Stone**

**Kami - Japanese word for God**

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Gomenasai - I'm verry sorry **

**Baka - Idiot **

**Sunagakure - Hidden Village of the Sand/Village Hidden in the Sand **

**Kazekage - (Literally, 'Wind Shadow') Ruler of Sunagakure **

**Bishie - Pretty Boy **

**Biju - Tailed beasts **

**Gomen - Sorry **

**Short chappie, I know. But this is really just another got-damn filler. (DAMN FILLERS!) The next chapter will be where Ino fights Deidara, which is gonna be really fun, I promise! Until then, enjoy...uh...whatever it is you do when you're not reading this...**


	10. Day 45

**Chapter 10**

On the final day of the Sealing Jutsu's activation, just when Ino was beginning to think no acts of vengence would come for Gaara, Zetsu warned of nearby shinobi. They were a large group indeed, and all from Konoha; Might Guy's complete cell which consisted of Hyuuge Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee, along with Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, and Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure. Zetsu informed that Naruto's team was at least half a day behind and would not be able to support Guy's cell when a confrontation happened. Both Ino and Itachi made it clear that these people were not to be taken lightly, even if they weren't notorious. Hatafuri assigned Itachi and Kisame to the task. Their holograms fadded away, but Ino could still feel the thiry percent of their individual Chakra pooling together with everyone else's as it was fed to the Sealing Jutsu's shrine.

By now, Gaara was completely lost. It was the final day - the Shukaku was almost completely extracted. By nightfall, the task would be complete and Zetsu would have a treat. Only a few more hours and she could sleep. Three days without food, drink, or sleep had done her still-healiong body poorly. Her mind was unable to wander, because then her Chakra would not be controlled and therefore unable to be donated. Also because she was unable to block off her thoughts while linked with the others in this way, and she didn't want them to know what she had been thinking. Or wanted to think, at least.

About three and a half hours passed by before Itachi and Kisame's holograms returned at their respective positions and informaed the rest that the deed was done. Sasori's subordinates had been sacrificed, but not in vain - the Might Guy cell would never return to Konoha. Zetsu was allowed to find his teats, as long as he remembered to contribute his Chakra. He did.

* * *

The day passed slowly, as the other two before it had. The Sealing Jutsu was complete, and with one final show of light, all of Gaara's energy force was sucked out of him. The Shrine collected it and fully opened one of its nine eyes. Four were now fully open, with pupils to match. The Akatsuki now had four of the great Tailed Beasts.

_You may now dissasemble, _Hatafuri told them all. There was a group sigh of relief as everyone left their posts. The Shrine sunk into the ground at Hatafuri's command.

Excited to finally be free, Ino ran over to Deidara and Sasori, the latter whom was still concealed within Hiruko. Deidara, however, was leaning up against his clay bird in exhaustion. "I hate this time of the year, un." He told her as she approached. Her blonde lover gave a great yawn, stretching as he did so. "How was it, Ai?"

Ino was surprised at the new nickname, but tried not to show it. "Extremely boring," she complained. "I couldn't even let my mind wander because I'd forget to add my Chakra."

"Un," Deidara agreed, stretching a final time before standing to meet her gaze. "You'll get used to it. Only five more Jinchuuriki to go, un."

A guilty frown usurped Ino's features as she looked over at the dead Gaara. She sighed heavily before admitting, "I don't care about the other four, I just don't want to see Naruto go." She began to remember the missions she had completed with him, the admiration she felt for his virtues and morales. Naruto had been a good friend - she knew she could count on him if she had ever needed anything. They weren't the best of friends, but still, Naruto always proclaimed his loyalty to her.

Her thoughts were broken by Zetsu's. _Don't get too comfortable, _he warned, _the rest will be here soon. _

_Deidara, Sasori, Ino, _Hatafuri called through her thoughts, _take them out. Bring back the Kyuubi. That is your mission. _

The three of them agreed, but Ino groaned aloud. Guilt was already eating at her. Naruto was going to die at her hands.

"Think you're strong enough for this, Ai?" Deidara cruelly teased as his bird collected Gaara's body in its mouth.

Wincing, Ino nodded. "Don't doubt me just because I feel bad," she warned. "You're gonna loose when we spar."

Deidara smiled at the thought, but before anything could be said, the wall sealing them inside was hit with something exerting a lot of force, and came crashing down.

As the rocks fell, their opponents became known. _Ai, _Deidara asked Ino, _which is the Kyuubi? _

_Ocean blue eyes, spiky blonde hair, orange jumpsuit. He'll - _She was cut off when Naruto ran forward, screaming, "You _bastards _killed Gaara! I'll kill you, I swear it!"

A smirk crept onto Deidara's face as he said to them, "I'll take the Kyuubi, un."

"He's supposed to be Itachi's," Sasori told him. "Don't overestimate your strength again."

"I don't mind, Danna!" Deidara answered as he jumped onto his clay bird. "You and Ino can handle the Pinkie and old lady, right, un?" He flew off before anything else could be said.

"You scum!" Naruto shouted, "Come back here!" He jumped off after him.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi ordered as he followed after the hyperactive blonde.

Neither had been able to identify Ino - she was standing back a little, hiding in the shadows. She was biding her time, waiting for the perfect oppertunity to intercede.

"Well, _Grandmother,_" -Sasori said this with spite--"are you ready to die?" Hiruko shifted a little, preparing for combat.

"Ah," Chiyo said with a sigh, "it has been too long since I've last seen my _adorable _grandchild." She, too, offered this title with scorn. "Perhaps I can beat you now as I have before." She, too, tensed for battle.

"Chiyo-baasama!" Sakura called in that annoying voice of hers, "You don't have any puppets, right?"

Ino scoffed at her ignorance and decided this was the time to appear. "When going on an important mission as this," she told Sakura, "it's important to have at least a _general _idea of your partner's defences and strengths, so you may help them as much as possible." She stepped into the light, paused for a moment, then jumped in front of Sasori. "Let the relatives fight. You will do well not to interfere." She adopted Itachi's stature and remained perfectly calm. From the look on Sakura's face, she could tell that her abscence of stance was annoying the cherry blossom. "What's wrong, big forehad? You seem more annoyed than surprised." Ino let the mockery slip into her voice, purposely making it appear that she could not control her emotions.

"We thought you were dead with your teammates," Sakura explained softly. Then, "Seems like you haven't changed at all, Ino-pig."

"We'll see about that," Ino taunted. Why was everyone doubting her growth? Even her own lover, Deidara, acted as though she wouldn't have grown at all in such amount of time. Why?

Even so, it didn't matter; today was the day she would finally prove her real strength, once and for all. No longer would she be the weakest link. No longer would she be taunted for her reluctance to fight. She threw herself into the battle.

In a surge of emotion, Sakura charged forward, screaming as she pulled her fist back. Of course, Ino knew what was powering that hand, and knew to avoid its direct attack. And, of course, she had predicted the cherry blossom would do this, and so she was ready. Sakura had been her sempai for five years; she knew the cherry blossom better than Sasuke did.

Because of her training with Itachi, Ino was able to calmly dodge Sakura's blows smoothly and without taking any damage. Frustrated, Sakura continued to try and hit Ino, but failed each time. Through the Akatsuki, Ino had learned to be more graceful, more lithe in her movements. If she had been a good fighter in Konoha, she was an undefeatable fighter now. So her training had changed her.

Dodging Sakura's attacks, Ino tested both her opponent and herself by taking the offensive. Just like the chuunin exams that were so long ago, neither could land a hit on the other. "After all this time," Ino shouted in frustration, "after all of my hard work, I will not settle with being your equal!" She angrilly threw her fist forward, aiming at Sakura's face.

Much to her surprise, the hit landed perfectly. Sakura fell back, her nose gushing blood. Holding her nose, her rival stood again and began to heal it. Ino let her. "Good hit, Ino-pig." Sakura admitted with a nod. "But that doesn't mean you win."

"Leave Sasori to the old hag," Ino ignored her compliment. Coming from Sakura, it wasn't worth anything. "Concern youself with me."

Having heald her nose, Sakura somehow managed to conjure up a Kage Bunshin from behind Ino. The clone held her arms back whilst Sakura took the oppertunity and returned the hit to Ino's nose. Falling back a little as stars blurred her vision, Ino lost her train of thought. "This won't take long," she heard her opponent snicker in victory.

Pushing through the blur, Ino forced herself to stand. The Kage Bunshin behind her held her tight, not letting her go. Looking back to it with just her eyes, Ino gently kicked its leg. It dissapeared in a puff of smoke.

Turning her attention back to Sakura, Ino ran forward, fist behind her as she added as much Chakra to it as possible. If this one hit landed, it would either kill or fatally wound the sweet little cherry blossom.

Sakura ran forward as well, bending her fist back.

The two charged at each other and met in the middle, Sakura grabbing Ino's offensive hand, and Ino doing the same to her enemy. They were at a stalemate, just as they had been years ago; both were staring one another down, angrilly pulling at their enemies' hands. "Not again!" Ino shouted, breaking free of Sakura's grasp and landing a hit to her jaw. Her enemy stumbled back a little, grunting with pain. "I _refuse _to be your equal. Two months of training with Akatsuki will _not _amount to nothing!" Anger bubbling within her, Ino charged forwards and used the move Itachi had taught her once, the one he had used on Sasuke as a genin. Hitting Sakura perfectly, Ino smiled as her enemy fell back in a spiral through the air, loudly landing against a boulder. Itachi sent over a mental image of him watching over her, arms folded, nodding in approval. Ino smiled.

The idiot refused to give up, though; she forced herself onto her feet and began the seal for another Kage Bunshin. Grunting at the repetition, Ino watched as three Sakuras came at her, each preparing to attack.

_Hmm, which is the real one? _Ino asked herself, carefully studying the three as they came toward her. _That one! _Grabbing the Sakura on the left, Ino used her body to destroy the other two doppelgangers. The two fakes dissapeared in a puff of smoke. _Hmm, _she thought again, _now how to end this..._

Sakura refused to be held down, broke away from Ino and jumped a few yards away. She took out all the kunai she had and threw them all at Ino. Just like Itachi taught her, she dodged each one as she completed a fire jutsu. Murmuring it softly as she completed it, Ino put her fingers together and to her mouth, then blew out as much as she could. She hadn't even practiced the fire element with her Uchiha sensei - this was based solely on what she had seen of him. She more than half-expected it to fail.

Much to her surprise, however, she was sucessful. Fire blew from her mouth and at Sakura in a huge ball. _Wow, _Ino thought, _I'm amazing! _

Sadly enough, the hit completely missed Sakura. Quickly balling her hand into a fist and spinning around, Ino surprised herself by landing a hit on Sakura's cheek. The pink-haired kunoichi fell back and, before her oppertunity could be lost, Ino kicked in her ribs, enjoying the sounds of their cracking. Sakura cried out a little and coughed up some blood.

Out of complete chance, a kunai fell from the sky and pierced Sakura's ribcage. She cried out again, and went completely still. Looking over at Sasori, Ino noticed that he had - perhaps - planned that. _Tired of fighting yet, Sasori? _She asked him through the link.

_I'm a puppet, _he reminded her. _We don't get tired. _

_Only annoyed, _she persisted.

_Yes. _She couldn't tell if that was directed at her or not. Sasori sent over a sigh. _Come help me finish her off. _

Ino was glad to oblige. Wordlessly, she left Sakura's body behind and jumped beside Sasori. His skilled fingers flawlessly handled his puppet-weapon, the Chakra strands at the tips almost invisible, but tougher than steel. He was in his prime element at that moment, and loving it. _What do I do? _She asked him through her thoughts, not wanting Chiyo to hear.

_Distract her, but do not make the final execution. I want that pleasure for myself. _

_Understood. _She jumped off and made to land behind the Elder, had not the woman's reactions and wits been so quick. Chiyo had been using two puppets against Sasori's one - two Ino recognized from Sasori's shared memories to be relics of his parents he had made the day they died, the day he became a puppeteer.

_Must be a tough battle for him, _Ino thought a second before the redheaded-father-puppet caught her in its grip. _Must concentrate, _she told herself, _Sasori's counting on me, if only a little..._Closing her eyes in concentration, Ino carefully tapped into Sasori's memories of how this puppet was designed. _This puppet's weakest point is the elbow on its right arm, _she learned. _Sasori could never figure out why, but whenever something small - a nail's thickness - was inserted into the left end of the elbow, the whole arm fell apart from that point down. _Ino opened her eyes again, studying the puppet's right elbow. _Now, while Sasori's distracing Chiyo, if I can somehow get my nail in that corner, I'll be free..._She moved slowly and carefully, taking a few extra seconds to wait for Chiyo to react to her movement.

Eventually, she made it to the puppet's weak spot. More careful than careful, Ino slipped her fingernail inside, with an assertive but gentle force.

The male puppet's elbow flung open quicker than Ino thought possible for an inanimate object. Chiyo repositioned the elbow so that whatever was inside would hit Ino dead-on. That was when she knew the old lady had made some changes to Sasori's puppets. Something shot out of the puppet's elbow and at her. She had only seconds to move before the weapon struck.

With an agility she didn't know she had, Ino grabbed the string of kunai with posioned tips in one hand, kicked out of the male puppet's grasp with more strength than she knew of, and gracefully arched in the air until she beautifully landed in front of Sasori, the sring of kunai held in a protective shield in front of her face.

_That was too perfect to be my own reflexes, _Ino thought, _I'm not not that quick or strong or graceful. _Perplexed, she looked back at Sasori, only to see Chakra strings from his left hand connected to her as they were on his right to his other puppet. "Sasori!" Ino exclaimed, astonished. "You - "

"Shut up," he commanded. "You are now temporarily a puppet. As long as my Chakra strings have a hold on you, your body is mine to manipulate. I will guarantee that, under my protection, not a scratch will mar your beautiful features. Will you comply?" He had repeated this all in his thoughts to Deidara.

"Hai!" Ino shouted, and also in her thoughts. "You have my complete faith."

_Hmph, _Deidara answered, his town disdainful, _she better not have a scratch on her, Danna. You promised. _

_I have a long memory, _was all Sasori gave as a reply. Deidara disconnected himself from them before Ino had a chance to say anything to him. _Keep your thoughts and eyes on Chiyo, _Sasori warned, _As long as I am controlling you, you are an extension of myself. I will see through your eyes and interprut your every thought. This is not the same as the link Hatafuri-san uses to tie us together; although it is broken when my Chakra leaves your body, it is stronger than his when we are combined. _

_Understood, _Ino answered faithfully, moving her full attention to Chiyo. Her entire body tensed without her command; Sasori was getting ready to attack. "Haruno Sakura is dead," she taunted.

_A little late, _Sasori told her.

_Improvising. _"She died at my hands. We used to be best friends before we started training to be nin." This seemed to surprise both Chiyo and Sasori - it always surprised people. They always found it hard to believe that Ino and Sakura had actually relied on one another as children. "But no more. For a reason I shall not explain,"-she felt embarrased liking Uchiha Sasuke when Deidara was obviously so much better--"we terminated our friendship and became rivals. I have finally proven myself the better of the two, as I have always been. Now, Sasori will prove himself the better, as he has always been." _A little bit of glorification never hurt, _she thought to him. _And look - it's unnerving Chiyo. Looks like she already knew who was truly better. _

Sasori's swelling pride swarmed into her thoughts.

"I'll admit that I am old and, unlike my grandchild, my body shows evidence of that. Time makes me weak, frail, and a little senile. But I have seen far more battles than my dear Sasori; I know how to handle situations and how to turn things to my favor," Chiyo replied.

"Then show me, dear grandmother," Sasori answered as he tensed, and his puppets did the same, "Show me how to kill the past."

Sasori willed Ino into action - she threw all nine stringed kunai at Chiyo. Because of Sasori's control, her aim was nearly perfect. If Chiyo hadn't moved her male puppet to take the blows for her, she would have died that instant.

Ino felt a deep...hesitation within Sasori. He didn't want to destroy his parents whether they were simply replicas or not. _Sasori, _she called softly, _do not hesitate. They're only puppets - you can fix them after you kill Chiyo. _

Sasori hesitated a second longer before sending both Ino and the third Kazekage to meet his parents. _Prepare yourself, _Sasori warned. The third emitted a black cloud from his mouth, the type that sounded like a thousand angry rattlesnakes. "Do you remember the third Kazekage's special power, Grandmother Chiyo?"

Chiyo didn't answer with words - she simply scowled in protest. Something told Ino that Sasori had the upper hand, still. There was no way he could possibly loose.

The black cloud that Ino guessed to be sand attacked Chiyo and her puppets at such a fast rate that she thought that was the end of it. _That sand has to weigh a lot more than it looks like it does, _she reasoned.

Sasori channeled his knowledge to her her then. The substance was the Third Kazekage's trump card whilst he was still alive. It was called Iron Sand and had the ability to take on any form and density the Third wished - all that was needed was some Chakra and a storage place. Technically, the Third could get Iron Sand from anywhere in Suna; it was made with sand, Chakra, and a secret jutsu that no one else - but Sasori, now - knew. The Iron Sand had the ability to disable anything mechanical - all the user had to do was make sure the Sand got into the machine. The Sand did the rest: expanding, collecting at the joints, and perminately stopping the oppressor. It was unstoppable.

But when the Iron Sand cleared, both Akatsuki members were astonished to find Chiyo's puppets in a defensive mode against the Third's attack. Chiyo growled, and both puppets fell to the ground on their sides, perminately useless.

_This was why Sasori hesitated, _Ino thought. Immediately, she understood his feelings, and felt a little guilty that she had urged him to not hold back. _Gomenasai, _she mumured.

"Shut up," he whispered, sending her over to attack the defenseless Chiyo. The Elder no longer had any puppets to protect herself with, and so she took the blows dealt.

Dangerously near death, Chiyo fell to her knees. A ghostly smile usurped her wrinkled face as she whispered her last words: "You have learned something today, my dear grandchild. _This _is how you kill your past."

As Chiyo's life faded away from her old body and she crashed to the ground, Sasori's anguish nearly stopped Ino's heart. In that split second before he revoked his Chakra strings, she understood what Chiyo meant and why it upset him so. By getting Sasori to permantely destroy the last puppets she had - the relics he had made of his parents - and killing her along with them, Chiyo had tricked him into eliminating every last figure of his past he had. Chiyo had done her grandson one final favor - the one favor that would also haunt him for the rest of his immortal life.

"A double-edged sword," Ino murmured, turning to face Sasori.

But he wasn't behind her anymore. By now, he had already packed away the Third Kazekage, the remains of Hiruko, and the useless relics of his past. By the time she got over to him, he had already begun the process of making Chiyo into a puppet. "Sasori..." she began.

"Shut up," he commanded for the third time that day. "I'm keeping them."

"We both know you won't be able to actually use them in your arsenal. Chiyo was right when she did this."

Sasori stopped and looked over at Ino as if she'd just suggested something even Hidan wouldn't do. He looked down to the dead Chiyo and continued on with his work. "I'll change that Sakura girl next. Go ahead - Deidara needs you."

Ino hesitated for a moment, studying the emotionelss wood of Sasori's face. Before leaving, she hugged his unsensitive frame tightly and whispered, "Even thought blood is thicker, water is quicker. Translation: You blood family may desert you or leave you behind in this world, but there are always more people out there who love you just as strongly, and it's easier to create a family of friends and water than that of rivals and blood." Even though he couldn't possibly feel it, she ruffled his hair affectionately and kissed his cheek before walking away. Why had she done it? Simple: It was what he had always wanted - outright love and support.

* * *

She managed to locate Deidara before anything too damaging happened. He had allowed Naruto and Kakashi to trail him, but never gave them an opening. Ino had met the three perfectly: Kakashi had used some sort of Sharingan genjutsu to crash Deidara's bird. Naruto ran after him, seeking hand-to-hand combat. But Deidara, being a ninjutsu type, kept his distance. Ino knew she had to intercede - she knew Deidara's clay levels were minimal to begin with.

With some odd stroke of luck, Ino was able to catch Deidara while he was loosing Naruto, stealthily hiding in a large bush. _Move over, it's me. _She thought as she silently climbed in beside him.

_You're alive! _He greated her happily, gently kissing her lips. _Looks like you and Sasori work well together. _

_Only in desperate situations, _she joked with a playful grin. _And I thought you weren't mine anymore. _

_A kiss isn't actually a kiss without some tongue, _Deidara told her with a smile. _Everyone knows that. _

Chucking through her thoughts, Ino forced herself to focus. _Now, _she began as she looked out from her hiding place, _how do we do this? You have no clay, I'm exhausted, and Sasori...Well, he'll get here eventually. All three of us are distance-types, but Naruto's style is mainly taijutsu. It's a stalemate all over. _

_And he's got Hatake Kakashi with that damned Sharingan eye, _Deidara added with scorn. _We'll need Sasori-danna's mind for this, or fighting style. Puppeteers work well with both. _

_I know, _she agreed. _The hardest parts will be incompacitating Naruto enough to bring him back to Hatafuri-san and killing Kakashi-sensei. He's known as 'the Copy Ninja' for a reason. _

_Un. Kakashi...I don't know what happened to him. He destroyed my bird with some sort of Sharingan genjutsu, then dissapeared. I think maybe he incompacitated himself. _

_That'd be nice. Wait - what was that over there? _She silently pointed to the area where she had heard something. They saw two nin not very far away, both with blonde hair, similar hair styles, and Akatsuki cloaks.

"Sasori," Ino whispered aloud with relief.

"Oy!" The voice of Naruto shouted from somewhere nearby, "I see you! Don't go running like a chicken, you're an Akatsuki for Kami's sake!"

_You two can come out now, _Sasori told them.

_Danna! Where are you? _Deidara asked. Sasori sent over a mental image of his surroundings, and the two blondes jumped off to meet him.

_Anyone got a plan yet? _Ino asked the two men.

_Yes, _Sasori answered. _I'm going to lure the Jinchuuriki to a position near mine with these Deidara and Ino puppets I created. After that I have nothing. _

_He's a taijutsu type, _Ino informed him, _and he has a soft heart. Simply seeing me on you guys' side will completely throw him off track. I can try and trap him in my old Shintensen no Jutsu, but then I'm stuck in his body and someone will have to carry mine. I could try other genjutsu, but I don't know how affective they'll be - I'm sort of weak right now. What we need to think through first is how to control him, get him to come with us. _

_I've got an idea, _Deidara offered. _Sasori-danna, take your puppets back. I'll fight him. _

_Demo -- _Ino began, but was stopped.

_Just follow my lead, _Deidara interrupted her, _or just do what you think is right at the moment. I have faith in you. _

Touched, Ino nodded vigorously. _Hai. You lead. _

Naruto ran into the clearing they were staring down at and looked around. "Oy! I know you're here..."

_That's my queue. _Deidara told them as he jumped from his perch, revealing himself to Naruto. "You caught me, un." He said in an I-give-up tone as he held both hands up. "I have no more clay - there is no point in continuing this battle. You win, un."

Perplexed, Naruto stared at Deidara in curiosity for less than a second before he shouted, "What did you do with Gaara?!"

"The Kazekage, un?" Deidara asked, as though he wasn't quite sure he knew who Naruto was talking about. "Red hair? Kanji for 'love' on the left side of his forehead, un?"

"Who else?!" Naruto roared, his eyes red with the Kyuubi's power.

Deidara adopted a smug look on his face as his large clay bird emerged from the covers of a bush. "_This _Kazekage, un?" He asked as the bird opened its large mouth. "Oh, he's _long _dead." The bird split Gaara's dead body onto the ground.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted as he ran to his friend's body and knelt down beside it. "No," he groaned softly, "no, you're not dead. You _can't _be dead." The air around him picked up speed and whirled around him. His red Chakra was visible a second later, spinning around him as it adopted the shape of the Kyuubi within. In malice, he spun around to face Deidara. "You...you killed him! You damn _bastards _killed him for your own gain!" Deidara's smugness didn't fade as Naruto approached. "And now I'm gonna kill you!" He suddenly ran up to Deidara, at twice his normal running speed, and hit Deidara square in the stomach, causing him to fall back against a nearby tree and cough up blood. Again, Naruto approached, the Kyuubi form bubbling around him.

That was when Ino could stand it no longer. She jumped down in front of Deidara, arms spread wide, and shouted, "Naruto, please, don't!"

At the sight of Ino, Naruto calmed instantly. The air around him came to an abrupt halt, his Chakra-fox gone, even his eyes became less red. "I-ino?" Naruto asked, confusion spread across his face. "You're not dead? We all thought you died with your other partners that day..."

_That was how Hatafuri-san wanted it to seem, _Deidara explained.

Ino acted as though her blonde lover hadn't communicated with her at all. "No, Naruto, I survived. My entire life changed. Deidara and Sasori,"-here Sasori jumped out of the trees and landed beside her, helping Deidara to his feet--"they helped me find my will to live again. They protected me, cared for me...Loved me."

"You mean you _joined _them?!" Naruto roared, his anger summoning the Kyuubi's image again. "You helped them kill Gaara!"

"Then kill _me!_" She shouted over him, causing him to fall perfectly silent again. Ino's evergreen eyes met Naruto's Kyuubi-colored ones. "Kami knows all the evil I've done since that fateful day these two took me in. But spare them. Kill me."

This was bringing Naruto to his senses again. "Why?" He whispered, his voice now barely audible.

"Because I love him! This blonde, Deidara,"-she took his hand in hers--"I love him with all my heart! I couldn't stand to see anything happen to him. And Sasori? He's like my best friend. How could I let either of them die at the hands of an older friend of mine?"

"W-what happened to Guy-sensei's cell?"

"Dead."

Naruto dropped his gaze to the ground. "Grandma Chiyo? Sakura?"

"I-I killed Sakura myself," her voice shook - she was afraid of being on the recieving end of Naruto's powerful rage. "And I helped Sasori get rid of his grandmother."

Naruto covered his now ocean-blue eyes and craned his head up as far as it could go, wincing. A pained expression controlled his normally-friendly face, and Ino realized that he was on the verge of tears. "Sasuke will come after you for Sakura," he managed.

"He will be killed by Itachi. Tenten's gone, Rock Lee, Neji, Guy-sensei, Shikamaru...Sasuke's next if he comes to avenge Sakura. A new dawn is coming, Naruto, and trust me, you don't want to be in Konoha when that sun peeks up over the horizon. Come with us now, without any unnessecary pain. I can personally guarantee that you'll be comfortable."

Naruto was silently weeping by now. "Does it hurt? Having the Biju taken out, I mean."

"No," Ino answered, as her traitorous voice cracked. A guilty tear ran down her cheek. "it doesn't hurt at all. You won't even now what's going on."

"It's going to kill me."

"Painlessly," she lied, hating every fiber in her being for it. "Just come with us now and make everything easier on everyone."

"What happened to Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto avoided her last sentence.

"Dead," Sasori answered, "or dying, at least. Disguised one of my kunai on a pricker bush. All of my weapons are dipped in poison, and I saw it cut him. Deeply, too."

Naruto gave a deep sigh, dropping his gaze to the ground again. "Nothing to live for anymore," he grunted, looking up at her. "Except for you. You got lucky."

Letting the tears fall freely, Ino bear-hugged her old friend, burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry it has to be you. I'm sorry - "

"Well, don't be." Naruto interrupted, causing her to look up to him in surprise. "There's always another angle of the horizon to admire, and always a better sunrise there. Even if I have to die to see every one, I won't mind."

Sighing, Ino gave him one final bear-squeeze before letting him go. "Sasori, could you keep an eye on him while I look at Deidara?" Sasori nodded and silently obliged.

Ino pulled Deidara off to the side, furious. "You used me," she hissed. "You knew I'd do that the whole time."

What he did next she hadn't expected, and never would have. Deidara gently brushed her hair away from her face and whispered, "You really do love me, un." as he hugged her close. He even repeated it, as if he never thought it possible.

They backed off for a second, and Deidara took the oppertunity to kiss her as passionately as he could. "Of course I do," Ino whispered when they broke for air and she had gone to work on his abdomen. "If I didn't, I'd probably have tried to escape by now. I'm here because of you."

A few minutes later, his stomach was perfectly normal again and they were ready to go. Deidara moved molded his brid into one that could fit all of them, and they set off to the newest Akatsuki base.

* * *

Once they got there, Sasori voulentered to bring Naruto to Hatafuri. Ino and Deidara thanked him, then went off in search of a room to call their own.

Once inside their new room - which had beds for the both of them, Ino noticed - Deidara closed and locked their door. Sitting on the bed to the right, she asked aloud, "Why did we have to change bases?"

"Gaara's 'murder' brought a lot of attention to the old place, even if Hatafuri-san _was _a god. We usually move every time we get a new Jinchuuriki, un."

"So then we might move after...?" She couldn't bring herself to utter Naruto's name.

"We might not have to, since he came peacefully and all of his 'followers' were executed."

"Tsunade will come after us with everything she's got. And it's _my _fault." Ino buried her face in her hands in shame and fell down sideways onto the bed.

"We've survived worse, Ai, un." He sat down beside her and gently stroked her hair. The mouth on his hand kissed and licked her scalp, as usual.

"Dei," Ino whined in a tired tone, "I wanna sleep! Come sleep with me." Wordlessly, Deidara followed her orders and cuddled in close. "You're not mine, my ass." She murmured tiredly, hardly able to understand her own vocabulary.

Deidara must not have been able to understand her, because he didn't answer. The last thing she rememberd of that night was Deidara's warmth and strawberry-clay breath.

* * *

**A/n**

**Translations: **

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Ai - Love **

**Baasama - Elder (female) **

**Sempai - Upperclassmen/someone more experienced **

**Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone **

**Danna - Master **

**Oy - Hey **

**Kami - Japanese word for God **

**Shintensen no Jutsu - Mind control Jutsu **

**Demo - But**

**Biju - Tailed beast **

**Well, here's Chapter 10. I feel bad for Gaara and Naruto :( Enjoy the sadness :( You can obviously tell how my favorite characters are though, huh? Too bad Chiyo and Sakura didn't die in the actuall series...**


	11. Day 46

**Chapter 11**

The first thing Ino did that morning, even before opening her eyes, was yawn like a child who had been woken from a content rest. She then stretched her cramped limbs, flailing her arms outwards a little. Once she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was her lover, looking down on her with adoring eyes. He was lying to her right, proping his head up on his left arm. A comforted smile softened his angellic features even more as he stared down at her, gently twirling a lock of her hair around his fingers. "Ohiyo, Ai." He whispered with a soft peck on her lips.

"Ohiyo," Ino cooed in reply. "What's up for today?" She asked as she yawned, stretched, and sat upright.

"Hatafuri-san sasys we got the day off, un. You, Danna, and I. He said it was because we were so awesome yesterday, un. Nabbing the Kyuubi in such a way, I mean. Hatafuri was impressed with your work again, Ai." Smiling, Deidara poked her ribs with a chuckle. "What a good worker you are, un."

He was trying to make her feel better because he knew how guilty she felt for having a part in most of her friends' deaths. She decided to let go of the guilt - otherwise she wouldn't make it as an Akatsuki. Yes, however long Naruto had left would be the best times of his life, she vowed it. Naruto had been there when she needed someone most - she was not going to completely betray him. Hopefully, he - being the type of person he was - would understand the situation and not hate her. That was the most she could ask for.

"Dei," she began, "I want to see Naruto. And after,"-she bit her lip softly, trying to be seductive--"I want to take a _bath._" She put extra emphasis on 'bath' so that Deidara knew she didn't intend to take it alone.

"Is that so?" He challenged in a seductive voice of his own. "A bath, un? I sense a competition coming along."

"Yeah," Ino agreed, "there might be something up here." She tapped her skull. "You'll never know," she sang happily.

"Oh really?" Deidara challenged again, swinging one leg across her lap so that he was sitting in it comfortably. "I could get anything I want out of you, un."

"Don't underestimate your enemies," she giggled. "Otherwise you're nothing but a weak spot all over."

"Hmm," he pretended to consider, "I may consider that from now on, un."

Before Ino could say anything in reply, Deidara playfully pushed her back against the bed so that he was lying on top of her. "Never underestimate your enemies," he mockingly repeated as he stole a kiss. "Would you like to go see the Jinchuuriki now, un?"

"Naruto," Ino corrected with a guilty wince. "Yes."

Nodding, Deidara slipped off of her - as graceful and clean as water, she noted with a leap of her heart - and extended a hand to her, helping her to her feet. "Do you want breakfast first?" He asked her as he opened their bedroom door.

"I need to take my medicine, actually." While Deidara and Sasori were gone, Ino had been faithful in taking her medication, not needing anyone else to remind her of them. _You have my meds, right, Itachi-kun? _She asked him through her thoughts. Once her favorite artists had left on their mission, she had asked Itachi to hold onto her medication for her. He had silently complied.

_Hn, _Itachi barely replied. Over the link, he showed them how to get to his room from theirs.

He met them outside his room and silently handed her all four bottles. She took her medication, then put the bottles in the inner pockets of her cloak. Before he could leave, Ino asked, "Do you remember Uzumaki Naruto from before, when you lived in Konoha, Itachi-kun?"

"Yes," he answered softly. After a pause, he added, "We never officially met, however."

"I'm going to see him." She told the Uchiha. Then, with a strange surge of courage, "Would you like to come?"

Itachi didn't leave them, only silently stared down at her. Knowing Itachi well enough, Ino borrowed Hatafuri's memory and moved off. She sensed both meen follow after her and tried to ignore the nervous shivers that ran down her spine - she hated it when people followed her from behind.

The reached Naruto's room, which was actually as comfortable as theirs; Naruto was given a bed, a pillow, and a blanket to call his own. Of course, Ino realized all this after she knocked on his door and asked permission to enter.

Now, the three Akatsuki filed into his room, making themselves as comfortable as possible. Naruto himself was lying on his bed, using his right hand as a second pillow and allowing his left to lazily lie on his stomach. His breathing was slow and deliberate, and he focused very intently on the ceiling above him.

"It's not like you to be so inactive," Ino noted.

Naruto heaved a sigh. "There's nothing to live for anymore."

"Don't think that way," Ino said softly as she knelt down beside him. Then, in his ear, "I don't care if I loose my life in the process - I'm going to find a way to restore your life after the Kyuubi has been extracted. Elder Chiyo knew a way. I'll find it, I swear."

She backed off to see Naruto smiling fondly. He ruffled her hair playfully in affection and asked, "Can I walk around a little?"

_You seem to know him best, _Hatafuri said through her thoughts, _so he'll be you're responsibility. He obviously will not disbehave whilst in your presence. _

Ino sent over a complying nod. Then, to Naruto, "Of course. Mind if I accompany you?"

"Of course not, Ino-hoshi. You'd make my time here happier anyway, dattebayo." Smiling, he ruffled her hair a little as he sat upright. As he helped her to her feet, he asked, "Where to?"

Ino shrugged. "You know this place as well as I do."

Naruto smiled and was going to say something, but Deidara interrupted him. "I'll show you two around, un." He had an angry tone to his voice, and when Ino looked over her shoulder at him, an angry scowl hardend his features.

_Damn, _Ino thought, blocking acess to her thoughts, _he's sexy even when he's scowling. _In some sort of selfish desire, Ino desperately wanted to know what was causing this anger, just to continue doing it. To her, knowing that she had caused that scowl was like knowing how to save Naruto; it provided an amazing thrill of excitement.

But then another thought hit her. Deidara was angry with her; that meant no more kisses or hugs, no more 'Ai,' no more love-making. All of a sudden a sadness welled in her, and she felt tears threatening to fall.

Looking back to Naruto, Ino managed, "I think it's best for the two of us to go alone." She felt anger radiate from Deidara, but he said nothing in response. "Let's go, Naruto."

Picking up on the tension between them, Naruto followed her out of the room, perfectly silent.

* * *

Ino ran as fast as she could, not having a clue as to where she was going. Naruto followed alongside her in silent support, never once asking where they were going or what was wrong. He was a good friend like that.

She continued running, brushing past the other Akatsuki as though they weren't even there, until her legs stopped in front of an indiscreet door. It looked very much like the other doors at the new base, but something told her to run inside, and so she did. Naruto followed after her silently.

Inside, Ino was stunned to find that she had subconsciously used Sasori's thoughts to find a way to his room. Eyes wide in surprise, Ino stared at Sasori as he jumped at the sudden BANG of the door, spilled a vile of fluid, swore, and quickly began to clean it up. "What?!" He asked angrilly, without looking up to her.

"S-sasori, this is your room?" Ino asked as she held her fist in front of her mouth, trying to stop the tears from getting their way. "I-I didn't know..." Her voice cracked. Her eyes stung, and when she blinked away the pain, tears rolled down her cheeks. She was forced to sniffle as she stuttered, "I-I-I'm-m sorry f-for making you s-spill th-that."

Sasori's mercury eyes melted at the sight of her. Gently, he laid his puppet-arm over her shoulders and guided her to his bed. Sniffling, Ino took a seat as she attempted to wipe the still-flowing tears away. "It's alright," Sasori forgave her as he flipped his seat around to face her.

"Naruto," Ino whispered, "come sit with me." She looked over at Naruto to see that he was leaning up against the now-closed door, his hands on the knob. He had been looking away, she noticed, and when he was forced to look over at her, a guilty expression was all over his face. Silently, he oblidged and sat next to her on the bed, hugging her close. "Arigato," she whispered, leaning into him and appreciating his warmth.

"Now," Sasori asked in a soft voice, "what happened?"

In a voice barely above a whisper, Ino explained what had just happened and how she suddenly felt so guilty and unable to face her lover. She slowly - and relunctantly - explained to the both of them the strength of her love for Deidara, how his raw anger was pointed directly at her, and how she felt guilty for initially liking it. All the while, Sasori listened intently, and Naruto gently stroked her hair in an affectionate way. At some point during her monologue, she stopped crying, although she couldn't exactly remember when. When she finished, it felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Although she was still upset, her heart didn't hurt as much.

"He loves you very much, Hoshi." Naruto concluded as he continued to gently stroke her hair. "You gave your virginity to him?"

_Damn, he's smarter than he acts, _Ino thought, embarassed. She could do nothing but nod as more tears welled.

"He loves you. From what you've told me, he's the type only to be jealous of someone he gave his heart to."

Sasori nodded and added, "He's jealous you had a male friend you trusted with your life that wasn't him. Maybe he thinks your feelings of friendship to Naruto-kun are stronger than your feeling of love to him."

"Then again," Naruto began, "he's probably angry that you're such close friends with a monster like me."

"Don't say that," Ino chastised softly. "I know Deidara enough to say that he's not a biased person."

"Hn," Sasori agreed, "he's probably jealous that it's you and now him Ino has her complete faith in, Naruto-kun. Ino gave him her virginity; he probably expected more trust than that. He's jealous."

Ino chuckled a bit - she had never had someone who was jealous of her for any reason. Deidara's obvious feelings for her made her feel a little better about herself, a little more confident in her beauty. But most of all, Deidara's reaction to the situation only made her love him more. Once she had fully analyzed the situation, she was forced to smile. Deidara was jealous because he loved her so much.

Sighing with relief, Ino thanked the both of them in turn. "No need to thank us, Hoshi." Naruto whispered as the two of them stood.

"Why do you call me that? Ever since I first started talking to you..."

"Because, to me, you're more of a star than a pig."

* * *

With Naruto back in his room, and her confidence strong, Ino set out to find Deidara. He had completely blocked her from his thoughts, and so she did the same. He didn't need to know her intentions.

Oddly enough, finding him was easy. She had found her way to the showers and discovered one that was in use. Quietly, Ino approached the stall and knocked, pretending to be an annoyed Akatsuki.

"Un?" Her jealous lover called, not knowing who it was.

Leaning the left side of her body on the stall's door, Ino prodly began her confession. "Although you're the second man I've ever been with, you're the first that makes me feel this way. I care about you more than I care about myself. You saved me from the cold, cruel grips of depression and showed me the amazing warmth and brillance of love. Because of you, I've learned to embrace myself for everything I have, not just certain things. If I had not been fortunate enough to meet you, Dei, I'd be dead by now.

"Naruto may be my best friend, but you are my lover. I may be his star, but I am your love. I may entrust some of my secrets to Naruto, but I entrust my live and body to your loving, tender hands. I'll be crushed when Naruto has to go, but I'd never be able to be happy again - or to even live at all, for that matter - if you were to leave me behind in this world."

Deidara opened the door to his stall, then, the water of his shower still running. He was dripping wet, and completely naked; for that reason slone, Ino lost her words. Glancing up at his eyes, Ino noticed that they seemed to be a little red, along with his cheeks. Was the water vapor getting to be too much for him, or had he been crying? It was impossible to tell.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Ino softly interrupted him. "Hold on - I'm not finished.

"Deidara, I have come to realize just how strong my love for you is. Whenever I see you, my heart skips a beat in excitement and a viscious smile takes over my face. I can't think about anything bad when I'm with you - You are the light that broke the that darkness only two months ago. Dei...When I think of you, of your body...I get excited in ways no one has ever excited me before." He smiled at this, knowing exactly what she meant. "Deidara, I love you so much my heart hurts when we hug or kiss. I was so along and scared when you were gone...I can't bear to be without you. I love you so much, Dei,"-her voice cracked as tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks--"I don't even know if this is real or not." She couldn't bear to look at him. Completely admitting her feelings for him made her feel a little ashamed of them, as if Deidara would suddenly dissaprove and leave her behind. "I'm tired of not letting you know just how in love with you I am, so there it is." As the tears flowed, Ino found she was still incapable of meeting her lover's eyes.

Silently, Deidara took her hand in his and pulled her into the shower stall with him. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her close, and kissed her passionately. Quickly, he turned the water off, then went back to her and said, "Thank you for telling me that, un. And I'm sorry for being jealous of your best friend. Please, will you forgive me, Ai, un?"

Looking into his eyes, Ino couldn't help but tear up at the apology. "Will you forgive me?" she asked.

"For what?" Her lover asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"For making you feel like I trusted Naruto more than you. I'm so, so sorry." She nuzzled her face in his wet chest, not caring how wet she was getting.

Deidara nodded instantly. "I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me, un."

"Done," Ino agreed. They kissed on it. "So what now?" She whispered, looking up at him.

"Hot, passionate, make-up sex?" He suggested, a sheepish grin caressing his features.

"In a bed, onegai. Make-up sex is supposed to be pretty." She told him.

Deidara grabbed his clothes in one hand, using the other to cover his secrets, and pulled Ino out of the stall, running to their room in an unbridled excitement.

_Men, _Ino thought with a roll of her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

* * *

Once back in their room, Deidara slammed the door shut, locking it, and threw his clothes to the ground. He then approached Ino, who had managed to take her cloak off before his advance. Deidara latched his lips onto hers, causing excited shivers to run down Ino's spine. In reaction, she wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping at his back gently. He moaned into her mouth, leaning on her a little with pleasure. The blonde bishie gently ran his hands down either side of her body, appreciating her curves.

Grunting happily, Ino tightened her grip on Deidara's neck and gripped tighter at his back. Again, Deidara moaned with satisfaction. His hands slid under her shirt and pulled it up off her. Without wasting precious time, one artistic hand unbuttoned the back of her bra and hungrilly pulled it off her. He gently massaged her nipples with his thumbs, causing electric currents to run straight to her most sensitive area, like a hot wire. Without realizing it, Ino moaned in excited pleasure, which in turn spurred Deidara on to guide her over to their bed.

Once she was lying back, Deidara began exploring her lower parts and slowly unbuttoned her pants, teasing her.

Again, Ino cried out, this time in impatience. She caught a smile on Deidara's beautiful lips before she closed her eyes and arched upwards. He was slowly, deliberately pulling her pants down, as though appreciating every inch of skin she had.

Once her pants had been completely removed, Deidara returned to her and gently - but quickly - ran a finger between her thighs, which was still censored with underwear. This wonderful touch alone was enough to cause Ino to cry out again and moan his name in impatience.

In response, Deidara quickly removed her last pieces piece of clothing, completely stripping her. Smiling, the blonde bishie inserted two of his wonderful digits into her entrance. Ino gasped happily in surprise, arching upwards a little. At first, Deidara moved his fingers slowly, deliberately, as though he was searching for something.

Finally, his fingers ran over a sensitive point, causing Ino to gasp audibly in surprise. Smiling, he massaged the area, causing a cold-heat to begin at Ino's feat and work its way up. Confused and slightly interested, Ino moaned his name and arched upwards again. Seemingly from the very center of her entrance, a buzzing feeling appeared, growing stronger. At this feeling, Ino's hips urged Deidara to dig deeper. Picking up on this, the artist pushed at the point a little harder and massaged the area as fast as possible.

Instantly, her body reacted to the point being touched like this. A beautiful tension gathered at the point, then spread upwards, and out of her vaginal area alone and into the very ends of her limbs. Soon, her entire body was buzzing with excitement. A second later, every muscle in her body spazamed, causing her to shout in his name in pleasure as she begged for more. The pleasure was so great she didn't even feel his fingers moving around inside her.

Laughing at the acomplishment, Deidara removed his fingers and lapped up her body's responsive juices with his actual mouth. He murmured his trademark, "Un." and again Ino cried out his name, burying her hands in his still-untied hair and gripping out the roots needfully as her hips arched upwards.

Softly holding her hips down with one hand, Deidara moved to Ino and kissed her lips passionately. Ino slipped her hands out of his hair and instead tightly wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, simultaneously hitching her legs over his hips.

"Alright," Deidara replied to her movements, "if you say so, un." With that, he slammed into her, causing her to cry out in pleasyre, sounding very much like an animal. Deidara made no attempts to stop her cries as he continued to thrust inside, groaning along with her. Happy with the tightness and her reaction, Deidara continued to slam into her, causing the entire bed to rock. Soon, his groaning upgraded to shouting, both of them crying like animals, only occasionaly shouting each other's name. Without knowing it, Deidara hit a hidden point within Ino, and she was pushed over the edge. Crying out in animal-like pleasure, she shuddered as he whole body spazamed and clung to him. A liquid was spilled, and suddenly she was out of breath, her grip on Deidara loosening.

A moment later, Deidara cired out loudly as he released his fluids into her. With that, he lay on her completely, panting and out of breath. They both were.

Panting along with her lover, Ino allowed her eyes to flutter shut. That was the last she remembered.

* * *

**A/n: **

**NOTE: THE FLUFF WAS INTENTIONAL AND ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT. No, Ino doesn't get pregnant. ALSO NOTE THAT THERE WILL ONLY BE THIRTEEN CHAPTERS TO THIS STORY, (besides the epilogue). After that, well...It's finished. So yes, that fluff was there for a reason. Read on to find out why. **

**Translations: **

**Ohiyo - Good Morning **

**Ai - Love **

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Danna - Master **

**Kyuubi - 'Nine Tails' Naruto's tailed beast **

**Jinchuuriki - 'Power of Human Sacrifice' Common name for those bearing a tailed beast **

**Hoshi - Star **

**Dattebayo - Actually translates into something like, 'You know' not 'Believe it.' **

**Arigato - Thank you **

**Onegai - Please **

**Bishie - Pretty boy**


	12. Day 47

**Chapter 12**

"Ino," Deidara's gentle voice whispered in her ear, instantly waking her. "Iiiiiinnnnoooo," her lover called as she feigned innocence. Moaning something incoherent, Ino rolled away from him, a smile playing at her lips. "Ino-Ai," Deidara whined, resting a hand on her hip whilst burying his head in her neck. "Ai, wake up, un."

"Nngh," Ino moaned, pretending to not be fully awake, "Leave me alone, Dei, I'm sleeping!"

"Oh really?" Deidara asked playfully, gently pushing her hip back and propping himself up on it, looking down on her with playful eyes. "Funny, you spoke pretty clearly for someone who was just woken up, un..."

Ino smiled, sitting upright and covering herself with their blanket. "You have your clothes on already..." she mused, studying his covered chest. "No fair."

Deidara smiled with her, explaining, "I've been up for a while, un. A couple of hours, I think. At first, I was just watching you sleep, un. Then I got dressed, and you were still sleeping. I tried to wake you up, but you were in a coma or something, un." They laughed at that. "You're such a heavy sleeper, Ai."

"Gomen," she murmured, yawning. "You give me reason to sleep."

Deidara laughed at that. "Oh, and I'm still not yours yet. We haven't sparred, un."

"We just had sex last night," Ino answered flatly.

"No, no," Deidara replied with a large smile, shaking his head, "last night I raped you, un. Nope, no sex at all. No love, un."

"You can't - " She began, but was stopped when Deidara shouted,

"No love!" He covered his ears and stood, turning his back to her.

"And now you're frenching your ears!" Ino shouted, getting out of bed and putting her clothes on.

Deidara shouted incoherently, blocking her out. "No love, no love, no love!" He shouted, prancing around the room. He looked back to her for a second, finding her to be dressed, and removed his hands from his ears, using his left to take hers. "C'mon," he urged, pulling her towards the door, "It's time, un!" He seemed excited as they walked down the hallway.

"Time for what?" Ino asked him, curious.

"Time for me to kick your butt in battle," he answered with a sly grin.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Like _that'll _ever happen!" she retorted, pulling her hand back. "Hmph. Don't get your hopes up. You'll fail even worse."

A door opened directly in front of them, causing the two blondes to crash into it and fall to the ground. "Why do we always do that?!" Ino wailed as Deidara helped her up.

"It's because we're blonde, Hoshi." Naruto's voice called from behind the door as he stuck his head out from behind it. "I always do the same thing, dattebayo."

"Ohiyo, Naruto," Ino managed as she rubbed her bruised forehead. "Do you need something?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Pein-sama said I could walk around as long as I had an escort. And then I heard you guys coming down the hall, so I figured you wouldn't mind if I walked with you..."

"I'm gonna go spar with Deidara," Ino answered, jabbing her lover in the ribs lightly, "and prove how strong I've gotten while he was gone! Wanna come watch?"

"Hai!"

Nodding, the three of them walked further down the hall. They ran into Sasori next. "Sasori-dana!" Deidara called, waving.

"Is it time yet?" The redhead asked in an annoyed tone. "I'm tired of waiting."

"Yup, we're going there now, un."

Sasori nodded and followed them down the hall. "I'm putting money on Ino," he told them.

"_Nani_?!" Deidara shouted, looking over at his Danna in surprise. "You're betting _against _me, Danna?!"

Naruto laughed. "I know Ino best here, and I know she'll win." He put his hands behind his head like he always used to.

Ino blushed as a surge of pride ran through her. They exited the lair through a door and walked into a field. To their left was a small forest, the rest completely stripped of everything it bore. Sitting on the branches of the trees were the rest of the Akatsuki, even Zetsu. "Finally!" Hidan shouted. "We were waiting for a fucking hour!"

"It wasn't that long, baka." Kakuzu admonished.

"Moving on," Hatafuri broke between them, "get into your places, Ino, Deidara. Naruto-kun and Sasori, join the rest of us here." Nodding, her two friends jumped away, and Deidara took his place across the field. "Now, the rules," Hatafuri began, his voice louder than it should have been for someone so far away from her, "Deidara, no flying. For the first round, I want the both of you to use taijutsu. I want to see what Itachi has taught Ino, and how well she has adapted to it. _And don't go easy on each other. _Ino, you're a medic nin, so don't worry about Deidara's health if you hurt him. Aside from that, Konan is also skilled in the medical area. There is little to no chance that you will manage to kill Deidara." The other Akatsuki snickered at this, which made anger bubble in Ino's stomach. "Round two will be ninjutsu, three genjutsu."

"So it's two out of three," Ino guessed, using the same genjutsu Hatafuri was to make her voice seem louder.

"Exactly," he replied. "There are two ways to win: Either completely disable Deidara somehow, or he concedes. He wins the same way. There is no time limit. Even though the first round is taijutsu, the both of you are allowed to use any jutsu that will aid you. There is no jutsu you cannot use, only that genjutsu should be for the third round." He paused, and there was a tense silence between everyone. "You may begin." He instructed.

At that, the tension grew. Taking a deep breath, Ino ran towards her love, not holding back. He dodged her first attack easily, and so she continued to throw Chakra-enhanced punches, murmuring, "Only one hit..."

Deidara dodged every one of them, as fluidly as water. "And what happens when you can't land one, un?" He challenged, causing her to grind her teeth and throw even harder attacks.

He made to jump over her head as she threw her fist back for another attack, but she didn't give him the chance to land. Grabbing one of his feet as he jumped overhead, she pulled him down again, around, and threw him. He flew back, towards the trees, and would've gotten critically wounded had he not maneuvered through the air to land on his feet. Sliding back, gently lying his right hand on the ground to steady himself as he slid, Deidara called, "Sending me flying is a bad idea, Ai." as he ran forward again. "I'm too used to falling for that to work, un." He pulled his fist back for a punch. Ino waited for it and grabbed it once it came too close to her face, smirking as she replied,

"You're pretty good at taijutsu for someone who's a ninjutsu type."

"Un," Deidara answered with a smile as he used his other hand to impale a kunai into her ribcage. Ino tried to stop it, but he still managed to press it in pretty far.

Ino coughed up blood as she murmured, "_Teme._"

Deidara smiled and whispered, "I know I didn't hit anything vital." He was right; he had hit just underneath her left lung. Her only problem was that her breathing would be complicated, which would make fighting harder. He disappeared in a puff of smoke, then, and Ino took the opportunity to rip the kunai out of her, quickly healing the wounded area. She coughed as her lung healed, the blood that had leaked into it leaving again. She wouldn't be able to heal it completely, but she had healed it enough to continue on.

Bearing the kunai in her right hand, Ino looked around for her love. Left? No. Right? No. Behind? She spun around slowly, but he wasn't there. Turning around again, she looked upwards. Nothing there, either. _That leaves below! _Ino thought as she put as much Chakra into her left hand as possible before spreading her legs for a better stance as she punched the ground with all the force she had.

The ground rumbled loudly and broke apart in deep depressions. Deidara was forced out of his hiding spot, his eyes wide with amazement as he sat a few yards away. "DeiDei-kun," Ino sang. "I found you."

"Ko," she heard Deidara murmur in amusement as he held his hand up in the sign of Chakra. "Katsu!" he shouted, and she knew something bomb-related would be coming her way.

There was nothing coming directly from Deidara, so Ino jumped into the air, spinning around and kicking outwards. As she predicted, her foot made contact with one of his bombs, kicking it away from her as it exploded off to the side. "You're underestimating me, Dei." She said as she turned to face him again. He was gone.

_It was a diversion, _she thought as she looked around for signs of her artistic opponent. _So where is he now? _She looked around, but there was no sign of him.

Turning around, Ino had to use the kunai in her left hand quickly to stop several kunai speeding towards her. Each of Deidara's weapons fell to the ground, Ino having defended herself perfectly. She threw her weapon at him, then, and quickly picked up his, throwing those as well.

Deidara was able to dodge most of them, but one hit him, impaling itself into his shoulder. He winced and held it, causing Ino's heart to wrench in guilt. But she pushed it down, thinking to herself, _I can heal him later, I can heal him later..._

She had distracted herself, and so didn't sense Deidara's clone coming up from behind as it held her tightly, its right arm around her neck as it pointed a kunai at her with its left. "What are you going to do now, Ai?" The clone whispered in her ear, taunting her failure.

"I'm going to break free, of course." She murmured before biting down on the clone's right arm as hard as she could. It wailed in pain before turning back into stone, breaking to the ground.

Once free, Ino looked around again, finding no signs of Deidara, yet again. "Ah, what an _evasive _nin you are..." she taunted aloud, hoping to earn some sort of sign as to where he was hiding.

From somewhere above her, Deidara came falling down, his fist pulled back for a punch. Ino grabbed the oppressive hand, and her own scolded her for it - Deidara's weight was more than she had expected, and so her hands were paying the price. They screamed out in pain, but Ino did not make their screams known. She would not give Deidara that satisfaction. Keeping a tight hold of his hand, she threw him away from her again, even though she knew it wouldn't bring any damage to him.

Deidara accepted the throw, maneuvering in the air as he did before. He took out a string of kunai and threw them all at her at once.

_Time to impress Itachi-kun, _she thought as she dodged every one whilst completing the seal for one of his fire jutsus. Once complete, she murmured its name and put her fingers together, pressing them against her lips. Quickly, she blew out, and a large fireball emerged, blowing at Deidara. There was no way he could avoid it.

When she ran out of breath and the fire disappeared, Ino squinted her eyes, focusing on Deidara's previous position. All she could see was the charred area, with a hole where he had disappeared into. _Where did he...? _

Before she could complete her thought, Deidara jumped up from the ground, his fist craned upward, aiming to hit Ino's jaw.

He was successful. Ino hadn't been ready for this, and so when he came up, she was unable to change it. He hit her square in the jaw, causing her head to fly upwards with the impact from underneath. She felt bones crunch as she fell back - gravity having taken her back - and skid back, ripping the skin on her back as she did so. Everywhere was hurting now - she had no time to heal anything.

Groaning at the pain, Ino forced herself into a standing position. Deidara was coming at her again, running forwards. She fell into a fighting stance, fully prepared for his attack. He threw a fist at her, and she caught it with her left hand, using the other to punch his jaw. She smirked. "There's nothing better than payback, is there, Dei?"

He spit out a tooth as he gripped her hair tightly with his free hand. "And now what will you do, un?"

She took being so close to him as an advantage and kissed him gently before mercilessly kneeing him between his legs, as hard as she could manage. Deidara cried out through gritted teeth, throwing his head back and shouting, "That _really _hurt!"

When she felt something crawling up the back of her neck, she quickly pushed Deidara away and attempted to brush the thing away.

But it was too late; Deidara's explosive spider crawled onto her shoulder and exploded, sending her to the ground. White stars clouded her vision, and she feared that to be the end.

_No, _she thought as she forced herself onto her feet again, _I will not lose this way. There's still two more rounds to go! I can't loose on the very first one! _Breathing heavily, she made the seal for her Shintensin no Jutsu and aimed it at Deidara. It wasn't the last thing she had up her sleeve; if Deidara was thinking that as he saw the seal aimed at him, he was seriously wrong. And he would seriously fail.

Knowing the jutsu's schematics, Deidara quickly jumped away and into the air. Ino followed after him, forgetting the seal.

Deidara was a pretty high jumper - Ino had to add Chakra into her feet in order to get as high as he was. But once she was there, she punched him in the face, forcing him back as he fell onto the ground without any of his normal grace. Calling on a few Kage Bunshin, Ino used them to hold a corner of him down - now on the ground - as she fell in his middle. "This is going to hurt," she whispered as she pulled her fist back and added as much Chakra as possible. "A lot. But I won't apologize." She threw her fist down on his right arm, then again on his left. He cried out in the agony of having both bones in his arms shattered, wrenching underneath her for freedom.

"I give up!" He shouted, unable to keep himself still.

"Really?" Ino asked as she sat upright in surprise.

"No," another copy of his voice hissed in her ear as he punched the back of her head.

Stars blinded her, and before she knew what was happening, Deidara had her in a death-grip. This was only a shadow clone, but it was still impossible to escape his grasp. He had cruelly twisted her arm around and threw her to the ground, so that if she moved even an inch, she was in searing pain.

She was about to lose an arm.

Grinding her teeth in pain, Ino twisted herself around so that Deidara was on her front - breaking her left arm in the process. She ignored the searing pain of heat as she threw her right arm up, collecting as much Chakra as possible to it and punching him in the stomach. The clone broke into a collection of stones, and Ino jumped to her feet. She walked over to where her own clones were holding Deidara down and looked down on him. Her breathing was heavy and uneasy from the pain; she couldn't exactly tell which Deidara was the real one.

Ino opened her mouth to say something, but a wave of nausea and pain overtook her before she could, causing her to turn around and spill her stomach's contents. Unable to control her Chakra, her Kage Bunshin disappeared in puffs of smoke, and Deidara was free.

He forced himself upright, using only the muscles in his abdomen to do so. "You broke my arms, un!" he wailed, looking to either of them in turn.

"I can...heal them...later," Ino panted, wiping away access vomit from around her mouth as she turned to face him. "Looks like I...won." She grunted in pain, closing her eyes and falling to her knees. "Are you okay?" she murmured, forcing her eyes open again to look over at her love.

"I'm fine," he grunted, "Konan-san knows how to heal broken bones instantly."

"Good," she agreed with a nod. "Hatafuri-san?" she called.

"Come over here, you two, and get cleaned up," Hatafuri answered.

Ino helped Deidara to his feet with her unbroken hand, and the two of them jumped over to the trees.

They were greeted by Naruto, Sasori, Konan, and Hatafuri. The rest of the Akatsuki sat a little further away, waiting for the next round. "You did great, Ino-hoshi!" Naruto called, softly patting her back. "That looks painful," he commented on her broken left arm.

She managed a nod.

Konan and Pein approached them, Konan dealing with Ino's broken left arm first. Pein spoke as she worked, "I have come to the conclusion that Ino has won the first round."

"Yes!" Both Naruto and Sasori cheered. "Hidan," Sasori continued, "you owe me five bucks."

Hidan swore loudly, answering, "She'll loose the next two, Jashin-damnit!"

"Not likely!" Ino shouted back as Konan finished with her arm and turned her attention on Deidara. Ino healed the rest of her minor wounds, including the burn mark from where Deidara had set his bomb off on her. He had an angry expression behind the pained one on his face. "Upset you lost, Dei?"

"I don't understand," he murmured, then to Hatafuri, "How did I loose, un?"

"Ino was able to successfully disable you. How much more could you have done without your arms?"

Deidara growled in defeat and looked away from everyone, to the ground.

"Can I fight Ino-hoshi, Pein-sama?" Naruto asked politely.

"Aren't you a taijutsu type?" Hatafuri replied.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't think Deidara-kun would want to lose twice in a row."

Deidara growled at the stab to his ego, but said nothing. Konan was still busy with his arms.

"No," Sasori interjected, causing Ino to look over at him. "I'll spar with her." He used the strength of his neck to whip his bangs back away from his face. "Both Deidara and myself were gone for a month - I want to see how much she has learned first-hand, as well."

Ino froze, thinking. Sasori was a puppeteer - and he had hundreds of puppets. How would she herself beat three hundred puppets single-handedly?

Sasori answered her thought. "I'll use Hiruko, and then one other puppet if you manage to destroy him. If you can destroy both puppets successfully, you'll win. However, if I can land one scratch on you from either of my two puppets, I win." He rested his right arm on that hip. "Think you're up to the challenge?"

"Hmph!" Ino scoffed as she looked away a little. "If you don't think I can handle that, then you're seriously underestimating me! Of course I'll spar with you." She folded her newly-healed arms and looked at him away.

"Well, then," Sasori replied with a smirk, making to jump away, "I'll meet you down there." He jumped down onto the broken-up field.

Hatafuri nodded. "Sasori will be your next opponent, as you have decided. You may begin any time you're ready."

It was Ino's turn to nod. Then, looking down to Sasori, she followed. "Good luck, Hoshi!" She heard Naruto call.

Not responding, Ino jumped down to the field and prepared herself. Sasori was already concealed within Hiruko's body, waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, Ino readied herself, staring her opponent down. Without time for thought, Sasori attacked, slashing out Hiruko's tail at her. Acting quickly, Ino evaded the attack, jumping onto Hiruko's tail and carefully balancing herself. She could not afford to be wounded by the deadly weaponry so early. One scratch, and she would fail.

She jumped down from Hiruko's tail and arched her fist backwards, gathering as much Chakra to it as possible.

Within Hiruko, Sasori moved with lightning-fast movements Ino hadn't anticipated Hiruko capable of. And so her attack uselessly landed on the ground, breaking it up again.

"Isn't this nostalgic?" Sasori asked as he attacked her with Hiruko's tail.

Ino spun around and kicked it away as she gave herself come space from him and shouted, "Yeah, all we need is an old lady and a pink-haired whore!" She managed the smallest of smiles.

"That could be easily arranged," Sasori answered in a tone that washed ice water over her core. Ino knew, then, exactly which puppet he was planning on using upon Hiruko's defeat.

"That's a good tactic you're thinking of," she commented as she ran forward, a kunai in her mouth as she completed the seal for Kage Bunshin. Two clones appeared on either side of her, and she continued forward, preparing to strike.

It occurred to her, then, that this was the exact same tactic Haruno Sakura had used on her so long ago, at the chunin exams.

"No!" The three clones shouted at once as they jumped into the sky and threw their kunai at Hiruko.

"Ko," Sasori chuckled, reading her thoughts, "You're getting more and more like your worst enemy, aren't you?" He used Hiruko's tail to easily defend himself from the oppressive kunai.

The three Inos twirled gracefully through the air as they fell—something she had learned from Deidara moments before. "You learn fast, Ino." Sasori's voice told her. "Only an hour fighting Deidara and you can twirl through the air almost as excellently as he." Before she was given a chance to think, Sasori attacked her again, this time managing to strike her. But, oddly enough, Hiruko's tail hadn't broken her skin - only bruised her. Without taking time to get herself confused, Ino pushed herself off of the tail, gripping it tightly and using all the strength she had to whirl Hiruko around and throw him. An instant before the puppet and its puppeteer were about to make contact with the far mountain, Hiruko's form disintegrated into sand.

_A Suna Bunshin, _she thought, getting into a protective stance as she looked around for the enemy. _Now, where is he...? _

She knew an instant before Hiruko's form appeared out of nowhere and almost landed on her head. Heart racing, Ino quickly rolled out from underneath Hiruko's landing area. Sasori missed her by inches - he actually managed to get some of her hair caught underneath, trapping her.

"Ko," Sasori mocked, tilting Hiruko's head down to look on her. "Looks like you're trapped."

Ino growled in frustration and slowly pulled out one of her last kunai.

"What are you going to do with that?" Sasori sneered, meaning to anger her. "There's no way you could inflict any damage upon Hiruko in that position." He chuckled.

Ignoring him, Ino cut off the strands of her hair stuck underneath him and flew back, throwing it at him. It was her turn to smirk as she quickly completed the seal for her Shintensin no Jutsu, capturing Sasori within her grasp.

_Why...won't he...move? _She heard Sasori think. _Why can't I move? _

Within his mind, Ino laughed. _Give it up - there's no way you can get out of my Jutsu. I now have complete control over your body. _That was when the Kage Bunshin she had secretly called moments before jumped out of hiding and collected as much Chakra as possible into her fist. The clone punched Hiruko's back with incredible force, splitting the shell down the middle. Her clone disappeared and she quickly pulled back from Sasori's thoughts, trying to force her thoughts back into the right place quicker than she was supposed to. Her Shintensin no Jutsu was supposed to be used only as a last resort - it was slow and it took her a while to actually return to her body. And with an opponent like Sasori, the advantage would surely be taken.

She was able to return to consciousness just in time to dodge one final tail swing from Hiruko. Adding Chakra to her feet, Ino jumped as high into the air as possible and threw some basically-useless kunai down at the now-exposed puppeteer. He dodged them easily, flipping another puppet scroll out of his cloak.

"There's no puppet you have that I can't defeat!" She boasted proudly, landing a few hundred feet away.

"We'll see about that," Sasori answered in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. The tone of his voice gave her a hint as to which puppet he would use. The third Kazekage, perhaps? It _was _his favorite, after all. The possibilities were endless.

A few intense moments dragged by - Sasori's love for watching his prey wriggle in his grasp - before the scorpion added Chakra to the scroll. It exploded it a burst of purple fog, completely shadowing everything around them. Ino's heart rate increased - she was now completely vulnerable.

The smoke cleared away less than a minute later, and the face Ino stared back at made her turn to the side and vomit. Staring back at her, now in Sasori's complete control, was none other than her old teammate, Naara Shikamaru.

Panting heavily as she propped herself up on her knees, Ino managed, "Y-you killed Shikamaru..." She looked over to Sasori weakly, trying her hardest to look past her old boyfriend.

Sasori shook his head, a maniacal laugh hardening his features. "No. I merely took his body for my own use after he died."

Ino shook her head weakly, standing upright. "No. No! You killed him! You stole his body and - " she cut herself short, not desiring to think of Sasori's 'embalming' techniques. "How could you!?" She shouted, unable to control herself. Slowly, she began backing away. "You...you _monster!_" Her thoughts were nothing but an angry slush in her head.

"No." Sasori said firmly, sending over his thoughts of the matter. His experience.

"No!" Ino rejected them aloud, blocking them. "I don't believe you and I never will!" She jumped back as Sasori shrugged and twitched his fingers, sending Shikamaru flying towards her.

Ino's eyes widened in horror. She couldn't bring any harm to Shikamaru, even if it was only protection. There was no way.

Shikamaru punched her jaw squarely, sending her flying back. Ino took the attack numbly - she was in shock. She barely felt the pain in her back as she flew along the ground. Her thoughts were reduced to nothing. Nothing at all. How would she be able to survive this?

Weakly, Ino climbed to her feet and stared down Shikamaru as he attacked her again and again. She no longer felt the pain. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to climb back to her feet again and again, never bothering to even protect herself from the blows. No thoughts were being processed in her mind, no adrenaline rushing through her veins.

She had already given up.

Finally, Shikamaru sent one death-blow to her abdomen, sending her flying hundreds of feet back. Ino skid against the ground, giving the smallest of grunts as she eventually came to a stop. A searing green light flashed before her eyes as her head spun. She wanted to puke, to crawl into a corner and never come out again. There was no future for her, not anymore.

That was when she heard Naruto's voice: "C'mon, Ino, you can't loose this way! Not when you were doing so well! What's another puppet, even if it _is _Shikamaru? It's _only _a puppet, Hoshi, not him! You can do this! C'mon, get onto your feet and _fight back_!"

The sobs came unbridled now, audible enough for everyone to hear. "H-Help!" she shouted weakly, managing to lift her head. "I can't do this anymore!" She could hardly see through the tears.

"Danna, stop!" She heard Deidara yell in her defense.

"No," Hatafuri silenced everyone, "she can do this."

_H-he really thinks I can do this? _Ino heard herself think as she willed her arms and legs into action enough to back away from the approaching-Shikamaru. _How could I ever hurt Shikamaru? _

_You have to. He isn't Shikamaru anymore - he's only a lifeless puppet being controlled by Sasori. Why would you spare Sasori, your opponent? _A foreign voice asked her through her thoughts. Only, it wasn't a foreign voice - It was Konan.

_K-konan-san? _Ino thought weakly, managing to get to her feet. Her Chakra levels were dangerously low; it would all end soon.

_Yes, _Konan answered. _I am not on your side, but I do not enjoy the sight of a fellow kunoichi of the Akatsuki organization being beaten so easily. Take the advice, Ino. Do what you have to in order to survive. _

A fresh rush of adrenaline running through her veins, Ino nodded and fell into a protective stance. Konan's speech had inspired her. She could do this! She could beat Shikamaru and be at peace once and for all!

Shikamaru threw out his leg, aiming for her head, and she blocked it with her nearest arm, grabbing the puppet's leg with the other. Through tears, the blonde threw the puppet into the air and jumped up to meet it, adding as much Chakra as she had left to her fist and punching Shikamaru through the face. Sobbing freely, Ino feebly fell to the ground on her knees, holding her face in her hands. She shook violently with the sobs, unable to control herself.

"Hoshi!"

"Ino!" Two voices called in unison, one Naruto and the other Deidara. Both men landed beside her, Deidara on her right and Naruto on her left. Without thinking, Ino turned to Deidara and clung to him needfully, burying her face in his chest and sobbing freely. She spoke incoherently, murmuring something about Shikamaru. Even she didn't know what she was talking about.

"N-ngh, Shikamaru, nnnnn…Please…" Crying, Ino buried her face in Deidara's chest, clinging to him as he guided her to her feet.

"Ssh, Ino, he's not here anymore. Stop crying, un. It's okay." Deidara whispered against her hair as he held her close. His voice was comforting; it reminded her of her love for him, of his love for her, of how he would always be by her side no matter what. Just as he was now.

Deidara rubbed her arms and back as her tears began to slow, making soft shushing sounds and reminding her that it would be alright, that she would be okay. She was okay. She was alive. Her eyes widened as she realized this, and she slowly looked up into his beautiful eyes. They were soft, careful. "Ino-ai?" Deidara asked softly, cupping her face in either of his hands and brushing the tears away with his thumbs.

Ino closed her eyes happily, burying her face in his chest again as she shouted, "I'm alive! And you're alive! An-and I love yooooouuuuu!" She looked up again and kissed him once.

Deidara smiled. "Love you, too, Ai."

"Now, that's over," Sasori said from behind with a tired sigh.

At the sound of his voice, Ino felt an angry surge well within her. Clenching her fists and grinding her teeth together, she spun around to face him. She stared him down for the briefest of moments, shaking with anger, before shouting, "Stupid puppet!" and adding as much Chakra as she had left to her fist before introducing it to his cheek. Sasori went flying back, and Ino held her fist in front of her face, angrily shouting at the redhead in Japanese. "Shan duro!"

"Whoa!" Naruto shouted from behind, grabbing either of her arms and holding her tight. "Enough, Hoshi! Fight's over! You win, dattebayo!" Deidara grabbed her as well, around the waist. She screamed defiantly and wriggled in their grasp, nearly overwhelming the both of them.

"Ino-ai, calm down, un!" Deidara shouted. "He's dead and gone already. And you just confirmed it. Why are you so mad over a body, un?"

"You know already - I cannot feal pain in this body," Sasori told her as he stood and approached. The closer he got, the more she fought Deidara and Naruto's grasp. "Why bother when I can't feel it? The only thing hurt here will be your hand."

Realizing that she was unable to win in this situation, Ino silently stared back at the redhead, panting heavily with bottled-up anger. All was silent for an intense moment before she felt Naruto and Deidara's hold on her relaxing. "You can let me go now," she murmured softly, noting with pleasure the many-parted crack on his cheek. That alone was impetus for her to calm. Ino took a deep breath slowly, counting to ten before she let it out. She was okay; the anger had passed for now.

"Deidara, Ino, Sasori," Pein spoke from behind. The three of them turned to face them, and he continued, "I have decided to cut the next match and assign the three of you a mission. Obviously, Ino is a competent kunoichi. She will remain a member, as I had originally planned. Now, I want - " his line of speech cut off and he finished the rest through their thoughts, _the three of you to infiltrate Konoha and take out any and all oppression. I don't care how you do it - just make sure you keep those on our side safe. I expect the three of you to be back within the week. Get all preparations ready and leave as soon as possible. _

Ino's breath caught. Back to Konoha, so soon? And what was worse: they would be destroying the place she had once called home and slaughtering most of the people she had called friends. Her heart fluttered in anxiety, but deep in her heart she knew she could do this. She knew she was ready to eliminate her past and continue on with the future.

"Are you alright with that, Ino?" Pein asked her. Her now-teammates looked over to her, a sign of worry in both of their eyes.

A smirk pulled the corner of her mouth. Without hesitating, she answered, "Of course. Let's do it."

"Make preparations to leave as soon as possible." Hatafuri commanded before vanishing. _And make sure to bring the Kyuubi back to his room, _he added mentally.

The three of them nodded and escorted Naruto to his room.

"Where are you going, Ino-hoshi?" Naruto asked softly as he opened the door to his room. He looked back to her, the look in his eyes revealing that he wasn't expecting the type of answer he was looking for.

"I can't say," she said softly, looking to the ground. "Gomen." She was tearing up now, for some unknown reason.

"Hey," Naruto called softly, bringing her attention back to him. He kissed her hair gently and said, "I'll always remember you, Hoshi. Do you know why I always thought of you as a star?"

"N-no..." she stuttered, hating herself for seeming so weak.

"It's because, like all the other great people we know, you shine. Even at your darkest point in life, you shined above the rest. You've always been so much better than Konoha, even though others blinded themselves by staring at the sun too long and were unable to see your shine. But you were still there, growing brighter everyday. And now people will see your shine as I did."

Somehow managing a laugh, Ino thanked him again and backed off. "Itte keru, Naruto."

Naruto smiled. "See you later, Hoshi."

The three of them passed his room and, surprisingly, Deidara took her hand as they made their way through the base, collecting what they needed. Itachi passed his katana on to her, telling her to use it well. Deidara collected all of the clay he could carry, and Sasori quickly repaired Hiruko. After that, they made their way to the base's exit.

First looking down at their connected hands, then to Deidara's eyes, Ino felt reassured at the depth of their oval blue. "Naruto is right, un." Deidara whispered, his own eyes glistening. "You're a star. You shine in so many ways, un...I saw you through the worst of that darkness myself, and I am going to see through this darkness now. I love you, Ai. I really truly do."

More tears rolled down her cheek and, sniffling, she answered, "You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You saved me from death. I love you, too." One of the most astonishing things was the fact that Sasori did not say a word throughout the confession.

The three of them stepped into the bright sunlight, although their outlooks could never have been bleaker. All three of them knew the danger Konoha posed, but they were helpless in Pein's decision. Slowly and without conscious thought, they made their way through the woods surrounding the area and on towards Konoha.

They agreed to grab a hotel for the night and begin their infiltration of Konoha the following morning. Once inside their suite, the two blondes lay on their shared bed, cuddling up close and simply enjoying one another's scent. They fell asleep in one another's arms without saying a word.

* * *

**A/n **

**Translations: **

**Gomen - Sorry **

**Hai - Yes/right **

**Nani - What **

**Baka - Idiot **

**Ai - Love **

**Taijutsu - Close fighting (ie, hand-to-hand combat) **

**Ninjutsu - Distance fighting (ie, Deidara's bombs) **

**Genjutsu - Fighting with illusions (ie, Itachi's Sharingan) **

**Teme - Bastard **

**Katsu - A word used for concentration**

**Shintensin no Jutsu - Mind Control Jutsu **

**Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone **

**Hatafuri - Leader **

**Hoshi - Star **

**Suna Bunshin - Sand clone **

**Kunoichi - Female ninja **

**Shan duro - Damn it (not sure if it's actually spaced or not --') **

**Kyuubi - 'Nine Tails.' The name for Naruto's tailed beast. **

_A/n_

_ZOMFG IT'S FINALLY HERE!! I'm just as happy as you guys are, really ;) I can't believe I finally got it done!! Hopefully I can get the last two chapters typed before I leave for the weekend! Until then, enjoy this long-awaited update. Thanks to all of my fans for waiting so long. I appreciate the paitence! Ciao!_


	13. Day 48

**Chapter 13**

Ino awoke to the sound of annoyed banging on her door. Both she and Deidara bolted upright, looking over to the noisy door. "Open up, you two!" Sasori's voice ordered. Ino made to move, but Deidara hopped up and gently ordered her to relax.

Deidara opened the door slowly, asking his Danna what was wrong.

"Nothing," Sasori answered with a small smirk. "Just that we'd better get going."

Growling his displeasure, her blonde lover called for her. Of course, Ino came to him silently and happily, glad to be around him. "Let's go, then." Deidara murmured as he and Ino left the room, closing the door behind them.

"It'll only take half an hour to get to Konoha from here," Sasori told them. "It's on the other side of town."

Deidara mumbled a complaint at being woken up so early - three in the morning - but Ino stopped him. Taking his hand in hers, she met his eyes. Instantly, the complaints stopped. "Alright, Danna," he said to Sasori, "let's get going, un."

Ino smiled as Sasori led the way. Hopefully, things would turn out alright. Konoha was a dying village - if everything went smoothly, its liberation wouldn't take long.

* * *

The three of them began their mission in Konoha before the sun began its mission on Earth. Sasori devised a plan and told it to them through their shared connection: he was to take the southern tip of Konoha whilst Ino took the north. Deidara was to scout out overhead whilst the two worked and warn of impending danger. Once both Ino and Sasori completed their sections, they would meet at Konoha's center and collectively take out the east and west sections. After they took out those sections, Deidara would bomb the Hokage's Palace. If everything went smoothly, Konoha's liberation would be complete before noon.

Nodding, they separated as Deidara made himself a bird and took to the skies.

Moving quickly, Ino ran to her station. They had entered the village form the northeast, and so she didn't have far to go. Once there, Ino hid herself from the border patrol's watchful eye, casting a genjutsu that blended her with the trees around the area. _Stationed at Kita, _she thought, _Waiting on you, Sasori. _

_Yeah, yeah, _Sasori replied, _It takes a little longer when you have to go all the way around a village. _

_There are five ANBU watching the skies, _Deidara interceded. _Can I take them out, Danna? _

There was a pause before Sasori answered, _Use your quietest bombs, brat. Don't bring any attention to yourself. _

_I know, _Deidara answered. _Proceeding as planned. _As Sasori ordered, Deidara used his softest sounds. Even to Ino's trained ears, the bombs were little pops off in the distance, which could've been anything. The border patrol didn't even flinch.

A few minutes passed, and the popping noises stopped. _Alright, _she heard Deidara think, _all set. _

Another minute passed and Sasori gave the order. Slowly and carefully revealing herself, Ino silently complied and approached the border patrol slowly. Her face was hidden in the rice hat that she wore atop her head, and so she was unidentifiable. The three men at the border stared at her as she approached, too amazed to move.

As she was about to pass through, one of the men found the courage to confront her. "Uh, sir, you can't go in there..." He was close enough to kill.

Barely looking over at him, Ino fought to control the adrenaline rush. She stopped walking and reached behind herself, grabbing the hilt of Itachi's katana, hidden within. In a split second, she had unsheathed the weapon and sliced the man in half, at the waist. Blood splattered as the man's body fell to the ground.

His two buddies shouted something and threw kunai at her, which she easily blocked with her katana. One jumped at her front, the other running around to her back. For an intense second, no one moved. Then, gripping Itachi's katana tightly, Ino ran it through the man in front of her. Moving quickly, she retrieved her sword, spun around, and sliced the man behind her in half. "I'm a girl," she told the body as it fell to the ground.

_That was easy, _she thought.

_Too easy, _Sasori agreed. _Deidara, what's going on up there? _

_Absolutely nothing, _he answered. _There's no movement anywhere. Not even citizens on the street. _

_And the border patrol...They died too easily, _Ino added.

_Hn, _Sasori agreed.

_Oh, we've got movement! _Deidara told them, _from the east, headed in Ino's direction. _

_How big? _she asked him.

_One person. But...he looks powerful. And his poise...I've seen it somewhere before..._

_How far away? _she prodded.

_About two minutes with his speed. Kuso, where have I seen him before...? _

_Follow him here, _Ino ordered, _I'll need backup. _

Deidara sent over a signal that he was, but asked, _For one person? _

_Send me their image. _He sent it, and it was just as Ino had feared - the person running towards he was Uchiha Sasuke. _Perhaps that poise is similar to Itachi's? _She asked.

_Un, that's it! Wait, so that's - _

_Itachi's younger brother and the only other living Uchiha, Uchiha Sasuke. _Ino finished. _I can't take him on my own. _

_He's with some guy with white hair, _Deidara added, sending over the second person's image. _I've actually seen him before...How do I know him...? _

Ino groaned at the image. _That's one of the Three Legendary Senin - Jiraiya. We need to call for backup. _

Sasori obliged, calling out to Hatafuri and the other Akatsuki.

_Hmm, _Hatafuri replied, _this is a situation indeed. With Jiraiya there...Hmm. We shall all come. This liberation must end quickly. Stall them until we get there. _

The three of them agreed, and Sasori devised another plan. _Deidara, help Ino to stall them. I'll come up from behind in the Sharingan's blind spot. Hopefully, with any luck, we can at least gain an advantage. _

Both of the blondes agreed. Looking overhead, Ino noticed Deidara jump from his bird and land beside her. "Hmm," he commented as he studied her victims, "you did well, Ai."

Ino shrugged. "I don't think they're actually ANBU - they surrounded me and attacked me by the book. ANBU improvise more than that."

"You think they used genin as decoys, un?"

Just as he said that, Sasuke and Jiraiya appeared, and the village's ANBU came out of hiding and surrounded them. "They were watching me the entire time," she noted, "learning my moves. Kuso, they hid well."

Before anything else could be said, Sasuke revealed himself calmly, speaking, "Ino. We thought you were dead. You betrayed us."

"What of it?" She challenged, her grip on Itachi's katana tightening as she tensed.

"Don't tempt me," Sasuke warned, his Sharingan eyes staring her down. "Where can I find my brother?"

"Just like a damn Uchiha to disregard their opponents, un." Deidara gruffed angrily.

"Where can I find him, Ino?" Sasuke repeated, ignoring Deidara completely.

Deidara growled, but Ino stopped him with her own speech. "Do you remember this blade, Sasuke?" She turned it a little, and Sasuke's eyes widened. "Your brother gave it to me when he was teaching me. I've been his student for two months now." A look of jealousy flickered over Sasuke's face, which Ino noticed and laughed at.

"Where can I find Itachi?" Sasuke ordered, all business again.

"Damn," Deidara lost his temper, "don't you get it, baka? We're not going to tell you, un." His hands balled into fists.

"Dei, breathe." Ino commanded, then to Sasuke, "We're not going to tell you, of course. You'll have to kill us first." She tensed, preparing for combat.

"Neither of you are a match for my Sharingan," Sasuke boasted, refusing to prepare himself.

"_I defeated your brother in combat!" _Ino hissed, genuinely loosing her temper. "I escaped Mangekyou. I have also defeated the other nine Akatsuki. Did you think living with them would make me weaker?"

Sasuke was silent for a while before answering, "Ino, you're an S-slass criminal in the bingo books now. You must live your life in exile - you cannot return to Konoha. But if you tell me what I want to know, I can guarantee that you will be forgiven for abandoning us, and for all other crimes committed."

Ino scoffed at his arrogance. "I like you worry more about the location of your brother than that of your best friend."

"Where is Naruto?" Jiraiya asked her. "For this you will never be forgiven."

"Why do you think I care?" Ino genuinely asked, loosening her stance a little. "My allegiance is with the Akatsuki; nothing more. They saved me from death, made me stronger than ever before. Why should I abandon them for Konoha, the village that betrayed me, left me to smother in my own depression?" Ino shook her head. "If you want me to return to Konoha, you'll have to drag my dead body back with you."

_Coming up from behind, _Sasori thought, causing both Ino and Deidara to inwardly sigh with relief.

A moment later, Sasuke jumped out of the way, grabbing the projectile aimed at him, and threw it back at Sasori as he flew through the air. "Akasuna no Sasori," Sasuke whispered as he studied the redhead's face. There was no opening given to them; Jiraiya watched then intensely, ready to strike at any sign of movement. "What a pleasure to meet you. I've read all about you in Suna's bingo books."

"You're outnumbered," Sasori replied bluntly. He flicked his fingers on his left hand, and every ANBU member surrounding them dropped to the ground as poisoned kunai were embedded into their chests. "All of my weapons are dipped in poison. I personally created this special poison to kill instantly, on contact."

_Yay Sasori, _Ino cheered softly.

_Don't get too confident, _Sasori answered her thought, _I'm no match for a Sharingan. It can read the movements of my fingers and therefore predict what my puppets will do. The only way to defeat the Sharingan is with another. _

_Itachi-kun, _Ino thought gently.

"Yes, Ino-chan?" Itachi's emotionless voice answered from behind, causing shivers of relief and excitement to rush over her. Quickly glancing over her shoulder, Ino was relieved to see the rest of the Akatsuki standing behind her.

Everyone except Naruto.

Her heart wrenched in guilt as she asked Pein through her thoughts, _You left Naruto alone? _

_It would only complicate the matter otherwise. Don't worry, he's locked up nice and tight. He won't be leaving any time soon. _

Ino sent over a nervous gulp. She returned her gaze back to Jiraiya, closing the conversation.

Sasori left Sasuke, jumping over the Uchiha's head and landing to Ino's left. A second later, all the figures of Ino's past stood before her. Slowly, Sasuke turned around, spreading his arms out. The entire Hyuuga clan stood behind him - Hinata included - along with Kurenai, Asuma, the whole Akimichi clan, Choji, Shizune, the Naara clan, the Aburame clan and Shino, Sai, Iruka, the whole Inuzuka clan - with Kiba and Akamaru - and even Tsunade herself.

"Give it up," Tsunade called, stepping forward. "you're the ones outnumbered, now."

"We may be outnumbered," Ino spoke for everyone, "but we are not outmatched." It numbered about fifty to ten. Ino bit her lower lip in nervous anticipation. That meant each Akatsuki would have to kill at least five people. Ino wet her eyes on the lesser of the Hyuuga, Akimichi, Naara, and Inuzuka clans. There were four already.

Everyone tensed, but were stopped when a kunai was thrown at the ground between them. Two nin jumped down from above and landed in front of Sasori gracefully.

"And here I thought my loyal subordinates were going to abandon me," Sasori purred.

"Of course not, Sasori-sama!" Temari answered for both herself and her brother, Kankuro.

"Hmph," Tsunade scoffed in disapproval. "Will there be any more betrayals, or can we get on with this already?" She took her jacket off and threw it to the ground, preparing for combat.

Sai shrugged and jumped over to Ino's side, beside Kankuro and Temari.

"S-sai-kun," Ino called, surprised.

Sai looked back at her and smiled, sticking his tongue out as he closed his eyes and held up his middle and pointer fingers. "I was a spy for Orochimaru-dono before Sas_gay _killed him and I was paired with Sasori-sama. And so, out of that loyalty to Orochimaru-dono, I will support you."

"Domo arigato," Sasori thanked him softly. "Your support is much appreciated. Now,"-he turned to Konoha's defenders--"let's start."

_I'll take the fucker with the cigarette in his mouth, _Hidan told them.

_My sweet ototo is mine, _Itachi warned them all.

_I'll handle Jiraiya, _Pein added.

_Tsunade-san shall be mine, _Konan whispered through their shared line.

_The man with the cut along his nose shall belong to me, _Kakuzu chose.

_That fatass looks appetizing, _Zetsu's black side thought. _I'll enjoy eating him. _

_That woman with the red eyes will be no match for me, _Kisame informed them, _She wasn't before. _

_I'll take Shi - I mean, the chick with the black hair, _Ino decided, sharing Shizune image with them.

_Hmm, _Sasori thought, _I'll take the clan with the pet dogs. And the bug clan. _

_That leaves me with the genius clan, _Deidara observed. _Along with the Hyuugas. I'll need help with them. _

_I've got your back, Dei. _Ino told him. He nodded.

All of this deciding happened in a split second; an instant later, both good and bad ran towards one another, shouting out the nervous excitement.

Ino threw herself at Shizune, slashing out her blade. Her opponent revealed small bombs running up her forearm, pulling their ignition strings quickly.

In an instant reaction, Ino spun Itachi's katana around as fast as possible - so fast, the blade was only a spherical blur. But the bombs had been bogus; they only created a puff of smoke that shot out thin needles. Although the rotating katana protected Ino from most of the projectiles, some made their way through, grazing Ino's left arm, plunging into her liver, and sticking into her right shoulder. Coughing away the pain, Ino ignored the needles embedded into her flesh and ran towards the black-haired kunoichi, Itachi's katana lusting for blood.

Shizune jumped out of the way, but not fast enough. Ino's katana pierced right through the left side of her chest, between her ribs. Her opponent cried out weakly in pain, gripping at the katana with the rest of her fading strength.

Remembering Pein's orders about no mercy, Ino cruelly twisted the blade in the kunoichi's ribs, pushing it deeper into the wound. Her opponent coughed up blood, her hold on the sword impaling her loosening as the weight she put on it increased. "I-ino-chan..." she stuttered.

Ino paused, giving the elder medic nin a chance to speak.

"I-I always knew you were stronger than I, b-but I never imagined dying so quickly,"-she coughed--"so simply. I didn't realize - " Ino grew tired of her speech and twisted the katana, pushing it in further. Shizune cried out, forcing herself to finish. "I didn't realize how great you had become."

Naruto's voice came to her then: _Even at your darkest point in life, you shined above the rest. You've always been so much better than everyone else in Konoha, even though others blinded themselves by looking at the sun too long and were unable to see your shine. But you were still there, growing brighter everyday. And now people will see your shine as I did. _

Upon seeing the truth of his words and the true low people treated her with, Ino gritted her teeth, anger welling within her. Naruto's speech had brought her to tears before; that combined with what Shizune said brought a violent, uncontrollable anger. Naruto had been right; she had shined even brighter than everyone else as she pushed herself to her limits, and yet she was smothered by the sun - everyone else in Konoha. Only through the dark cover of the Akatsuki was she able to find just that; he new beginning.

"You blinded yourself," Ino hissed in the dying Shizune's ear, "by looking at the sun too long. But now you finally see, don't you? Now you finally get to appreciate my own shine." She pushed Tsunade's apprentice back off the katana and realized she had already died. Had she even heard Ino's reply to her last words? No. Like everyone before her, they ignored Ino until their last breath escaped their lips. Now unable to control her anger, Ino shoved Shizune's body off of her katana and onto the ground. She cut off the enemy's head, so that there was no possibility of survival.

Ever since she was born, the citizens of Konoha treated her poorly. Those she had called 'friends' always ended up betraying her, and she was always ignored by her peers. Even the Hokage disreguarded her, never using her for missions. She realized, now, that becoming an ANBU was just a desperate cry for attention. And even then, she was hardly acknowledged. The village's distaste for her should have been obvious when she first became depressed - no one ever lent a hand in aid.

Ino mercilessly stabbed an enemy through the back, then quickly retrieved her katana and sliced the person's head off. She loved the Akatsuki and everyone in it. She hated the rest of the world.

Working like a programmed machine, Ino moved over to a large group of people, who were collaboratively fighting Sasori. The puppeteer was again using Sandaime, his favorite. _Wanna borrow another puppet? _Ino asked over the link as she approached, pulling out Shizune's needles and healing the wounds as she did so.

_Sure, _Sasori agreed. _Come up from behind and give them a surprise. _

Sending over a nod, Ino quickly changed her direction and headed towards the back of the group. _Are they Hyuuga?_

_No, they use troublesome Chakra-eating bugs. _

_Ah, the Aburame. _Ino thought with a mental nod. _Not a good match for you, hmm? _She didn't wait for an answer as she jumped into the air and threw several kunai towards the bug-obsessed clan.

As expected, a wall of bug flew up and protected their masters. _There's no way to take out those bugs, _she told him. _And that's what we have to do in order to defeat the clan. _

_Hn, _Sasori sent over with a nod. _Because of those damned bugs, I can't use my puppet. They keep eating my Chakra strings. _

_Poison gas, _Ino thought. _It's the only thing that'll kill both the bugs and the clan in one shot. _

_As long as they're not roaches, _Sasori thought with a mental shrug. _Get over here, beside me. _

Ino sent over a nod and jumped over the Aburame clan, landing to Sasori's left.

Sasori abandoned his ties to the Third Kazekage and opened his palms, aiming them at the oppressor. Aquamarine-colored tubes shot out of either palm and quickly spewed out the poison gas. It engulfed the enemy immediately and continued to blow for at least a minute.

When the smoke cleared, all of the Aburame - and their bugs - were dead.

"What about the leftover gas?" Ino asked him aloud. "Hatafuri-sama said as little causalities as possible. That gas will kill everyone..."

Sasori shook his head as he picked up Sandaime and threw it over his shoulder. "I specially designed that gas so that it would become harmless once it begins to disperse. That's why it takes so much for such a long amount of time."

Ino nodded as she followed him to another group of people. _Where'd Dei go? _she thought suddenly, her heart racing with worry.

_Check the skies, _Sasori answered her thought with one of his own. _He flies whenever he gets the chance. _

Just as Sasori had predicted, Deidara was flying overhead, carefully bombing oppressive clans to death. He was doing a good job, too; he had already destroyed the Akimichi, Naara, and Inuzuka clans. All that was left was Tsunade, Jiraiya, Sasuke, Asuma, Iruka, Kurenai, and the best of the Hyuuga. Kankuro was battling Hinata, Temari and Sai her relatives. "Ko," she heard Sasori scoff, "let's give my puppeteer-friend a hand."

Upon looking over at him, Ino realized that Hinata had destroyed Kankuro's puppet and that he was now at her mercy. "Kankuro-kun, watch out!" Ino called as she ran over, knocking him out of the way as one of Deidara's bombs fell.

"Tsk, watch where you're dropping those, brat!" Sasori called as he took over for Kankuro, fighting Hinata with his Sandaime.

"Gomen!" Deidara shouted from above, jumping off the bird and landing by Kankuro and Ino. "You guys okay, un?" He asked as he offered a hand.

"Yeah," both answered in unison. Ino took the blonde bishie's hand and got onto her feet again, and Kankuro helped himself, complaining, "She destroyed all of my puppets!"

"That wouldn't have happened," Sasori scolded, "if you were more passionate about your own fighting style." He flicked a single finger, and his puppet stabbed a katana through Hinata's stomach. "There. That's that," he murmured as the Third Kazekage retrieved the weapon he turned to face the other three, then, a look of pure annoyance on his face. "You let her destroy the puppets _I _created," he growled at Kankuro, "You're not dedicated enough to call yourself a puppeteer."

Kankuro looked to the ground in disappointment.

"He's still learning, Sasori." Ino defended him. "You've been at it for how long now?"

"Forty-five years," he gruffed.

"And Kankuro's been working with puppets for at least eight. If you want him to be so great, teach him something."

She stared at the Akasuna while he stared down Kankuro. "If you want to be a great puppeteer someday, you should start with using your own puppets that _you _made. That way you'll know everything there is to know about it." He gently slung the Sandaime over his shoulder and stalked away.

"Don't mind him, un." Deidara told the obviously-upset Kankuro. "He's just competitive, especially with his art. Whenever he meets another puppeteer, no matter who it is, he had to beat them, un. It's not you."

"Yeah," Kankuro murmured as he bent down to his massacred puppets. "My puppets are completely gone, though. I can't fight without them. So now I'm useless." He plopped onto the ground before his puppets and buried his face in his hands, heaving a heavy sigh.

"You're not - " Ino began. But before she could finish, a katana stabbed through her back. Pain rushed over her body, and she could do nothing but grab the katana weakly, to stop it from coming through her any further. Blood bubbled out of the wound in her stomach, pouring out of her like rain. She looked up from the wound and into Deidara's shocked eyes. "D-dei?" She choked, blood rushing over her mouth as she did so. Forcing her neck to move, Ino realized that Kankuro had been slain as well and that Hinata's body was gone. A heavy, pained breathing came from behind, and she knew it to be Hinata's.

Pain racked through her body, and Ino felt her grip on the katana slipping. Slowly, Ino fell to her knees, coughing up blood. Hinata retrieved her katana and must have disappeared, because Deidara willed himself into action, rushing down to meet her. "Ino, no!" he shouted frantically, holding her close.

Trying to control herself - if even a little - Ino buried her face in Deidara's chest, tears mixing with blood. "Dei,"-she coughed as blood poured out of her mouth--"I'm dying."

"No, Ino, don't leave me!" he wailed, holding her close. "Heal yourself!"

"I-can't control...my Chakra. That blade was poisoned..."

Frantic, Deidara put his hand over the wound and pressed it, causing Ino to grunt in pain. "No, you can't die!" he cried, his tears coming unbridled.

At that exact moment, the katana used on Ino was stabbed through Deidara. For an intense moment, there was nothing. Then, Deidara coughed up blood and looked down to his pierced abdomen with a smile. "At least now we can die together, un..." he looked back up to her as she shook in his arms. Behind him, Hinata fell to the ground, Sasori's poison finally taking effect.

"N-no," Ino murmured in his neck, "you wanted to...go out with a bang. I don't...want to fade like that, either..."

"I can't,"-he coughed--"control my Chakra...either. So no...suicide-bombing...I'm sorry we're going to...die like this."

"We're going to,"-Ino grunted as pain washed over her--"die together. That's the most...I could ever ask for. Kami, Deidara...I loved you so much."

"I...love you too, Ino. Maybe we can...be together wherever we go next...Maybe we'll meet again...somewhere." He shook, tears falling. By now, they were both crying.

"Dei, don't...let go..." she whispered, feeling his grip loosen.

"N-never," he managed, "I'm always gonna...be...right here, un. Because I...love you more than life. I'm so glad...I became Akatsuki..."

By now, all the sounds of the battle around them disappeared. Ino's vision was slowly turning black, and it was getting harder to breathe. "Deidara," she forced, coughing up more blood.

"H...n?" he managed, fading as quickly as she.

"I'm so glad to...have known you. Even...if it was only for...two months. You completely...changed me. Kami, I loved you...so...much..." she was fading out of conscious now, a warm hush enveloping her.

"Ino," he choked through blood, "I'm...glad to have...known you, to have...loved you. You...changed me...too...u...n..."

Sobbing through pain and defeat, Ino welcomed the warm hush.

Everything went black, and the last thing she registered was Sasori's voice screaming their names.

* * *

**A/n **

**I cried as I wrote this. **


	14. Epilogue

**.:.Epilogue.:.**

The tunnel - or room, rather - she was in was completely black. She felt nothing, thought nothing. The only thing concerning her was a small white opening further down the tunnel. Her feet willed themselves into action, and she found herself walking towards it at a fast rate.

Then, suddenly, Shikamaru appeared before her, stopping her trek. "Ino," he said softly with a nod.

"Shikamaru!" Ino said with a gasp. "Then that means..." her voice trailed off in thought.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. You still have a choice. You can choose to continue forward and follow the light, or you can turn back now. I can't tell you what either will do."

"Which did you choose?"

He shook his head again. "I didn't have a choice. I was forced to follow the light."

"W-why were you forced?"

"Because there was no one to tell me otherwise. Now, Ino, you must choose. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay with Deidara-kun?"

Tears streamed down her face as all the wonderful memories of she and her lover flashed before her eyes. Was she willing to give that up to be with Shikamaru? "I want to be with Deidara!" She sobbed, needing the blonde male more than Shikamaru, who had never really been her boyfriend in the first place.

Shikamaru nodded his approval and turned his back to her. "Goodbye, Ino. Don't come back anytime soon." He walked into the tunnel, into the light, and it closed shut behind him.

And then she was falling.

* * *

Ino opened her eyes slowly, hating the light that seared her retinas. Her vision slowly cleared, and she was able to make out Naruto's figure as he sat beside her, his head buried in her pillow as he cried. Although a deep fatigue controlled her, Ino managed to rest her hand atop Naruto's head, gently ruffling his hair.

Naruto looked up at the touch, tears streaming down his face freely. "I-Ino-hoshi..." he began, stunned.

"Hey, Naruto," she murmured in reply.

"You're alive!" he shouted, jumping to his feet in excitement. Ino winced at the pain in her ears as they rang. "Kami, I thought we lost you." His voice quieted as he gently hugged her. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he backed off her.

Thinking about it, Ino realized that she was pretty comfortable. She repeated this to him, holding her wound in her left hand. "I do feel completely exhausted, though. How long have I been out?"

"Pein-sama and the rest came back early yesterday morning. Sasori-sama and Temari-chan brought the three of you a few hours earlier than that. So I'd say you were out for about twenty-four hours."

"'The three of us'...?" she asked.

"You, Kankuro-kun, and Deidara-kun," Naruto pointed to the bed lying against the far wall. "That's Kankuro-kun." He pointed to the bed to Ino's right - against the right wall - and told her, "And that's Deidara-kun."

Ino looked over at her blonde lover's unmoving body, sorrow wrenching her heart. She could see him breathing carefully, could hear his wheezing. "Did I sound like that?" she murmured, looking back to Naruto.

"Yeah, you did."

"Has he woken up yet?"

Naruto shook his head. "Kankuro-kun hasn't, either. You're the first. But Sasori-sama said they're both in stable conditions and should be fine. He wasn't expecting any of you to wake up before tomorrow."

Ino ignored his last comment, stretching out her right hand as if trying to stroke Deidara's hair.

But he was too far away.

"Naruto, help me." Ino commanded softly as she propped herself up on her elbows, wincing at the shooting pain in her abdomen.

"Hoshi, I don't think you should - "

"Naruto, please! Please, I just want to see him better..." she grunted through gritted teeth as her abdomen scolded her movement.

Naruto, being the person he was, was unable to see her struggling and in pain, and so he wrapped her left arm around her back, helping her to sit upright. She swung her legs over the bed and carefully climbed down off it. Naruto instructed her to wrap her right arm around his shoulders, and so she did.

Ino took a shaky step forward, finding walking easier than she thought it would be. Although exhaustion made her legs feel like jelly, she was able to make it over to Deidara's bed. With Naruto's help, of course.

Deidara looked as peaceful in his sleep. Although his breathing was a little raspy, he still had that peaceful breath of his. "Okay, Naruto, I can stand on my own..." Naruto nodded, letting go.

Ino pulled off Deidara's bandages, revealing the ugly stab wound. "Help me, will you? Hold Deidara up for me."

Naruto had a look of suspicion on his face, but silently obliged.

Carefully, Ino held either side of Deidara's wound and added as much Chakra as she could. She felt her already low energy quickly depleting, but she forced herself to continue.

Her Chakra came to an abrupt halt, and she coughed up some blood. Unable to stand any longer, Ino collapsed onto Deidara's lap. "Hoshi!" Naruto called, but stopped when Deidara laid his hand on her head.

"Ai?" he murmured, slowly sitting upright.

"Umhm," Ino called, looking up to him as best she could.

"You healed me, didn't you?"

"Umhm." Exhaustion was even greater now.

"You didn't need to do that, un."

"If I didn't, then you'd still be sleeping and I'd be freaking out."

Deidara chuckled, stroking her hair. Naruto scooped up her legs and put them onto the bed, so that Ino was resting on it fully. "Arigato," she murmured softly, but found the pain and exhaustion too much to move. She grunted softly with the effort.

"Hoshi?"

"Hn?"

"Can I try to heal you? I can at least give you some of my Chakra...I've got plenty, dattebayo..."

Deidara shot him a glare at the idea of taking off the bandages that covered her chest, but she noticed and said to him, "Come down here, Dei, and hold me up for him." Deidara reluctantly obliged, and Naruto took off the bandages around her stomach. She felt the ones around her breasts slip, and Deidara covered her with his right arm, his left hand on her left shoulder. He was positioned so that, if he spoke, she would hear it first; his mouth was dreadfully close to her left ear.

"Okay," Naruto murmured, "here we go." He placed his hands on either side of the wound and applied his Chakra.

A second later, the stab wound sizzled away, not even leaving a scar. "There!" Naruto shouted happily as he backed off her. "How was that, Ino-hoshi?"

"Perfect," she breathed, studying the place where the wound had been. It was as if she had never been stabbed. And as for the exhaustion - it was gone completely, replaced with a hyperactive rush of energy. "Wow, that's amazing." She made to sit upright fully, but was stopped by Deidara's wary arm, still across her breasts protectively. "Oh, yeah. Naruto, can you go get someone to get our clothes?"

"Oh, yeah! Sasori-sama told me to give them to you if you wake up before he comes in to check on you." He moved over to a rack at the foot of Deidara's bed and grabbed two bundles, handing one to Ino and one to Deidara. "I assumed the one with the bra on top was Hoshi's." The Kyuubi added with a smile.

Ino felt a deep blush cover her cheeks. "Do you mind...?" she murmured.

"Ah, ah." Naruto murmured as he left, closing the door behind him.

"Quickly, un." Deidara instructed as he relinquished his hold on her and tore off the rest of his bandages.

"I know," she replied as she stripped off her own bandages. Her eyes cautiously looked over to Kankuro, but he was still out. Quickly, Ino clipped her bra on, followed by her uniform's shirt and cloak. Sasori had left their pants on.

Once they were fully uniformed again, Naruto knocked on the door and entered.

But it wasn't Naruto who had knocked - it was Sasori. He entered without an invitation, as always, followed by a shouting Naruto. Temari and Sai followed along behind. "I _told _you, they're - " Naruto was saying, but stopped when he realized that they had finished dressing. "Oh, you're done," he said with a smile, putting his hands behind his head as he always used to.

"Who woke up first?" Sasori asked the two lovers. He sounded tired, as if he had been up since they had returned.

"I did," Ino told him. "Then I healed Deidara, and then Naruto healed me."

"Has Kankuro...?" Temari began, but stopped when she looked over to his seemingly-lifeless body.

"Here, I'll fix that." Ino offered as she walked over to the puppeteer. Temari followed along behind, and excitement in her step. "Can you hold him up for me?" Temari nodded, and Ino proceeded to take the bandages off. Once this was done, she gently held both hands above the wound and applied Chakra. The wound healed faster than it should have, and Ino realized this to be Naruto's Chakra within her.

Kankuro's eyes slowly opened, and he sat upright, moaning. In response, Temari forced a hug with him, tears streaming down her face.

Her work down, Ino returned to Deidara, folding in to his embrace. He kissed her hair, deeply breathed in her scent. Ino closed her eyes in comfort, glad to have survived.

"Hey, Ino-chan," she heard Sai begin, "why's you choose that one? He looks like the type to hide the small size of his penis with a large hairdo."

"What?!" Deidara bellowed, letting her go.

"You hide the size of your shrimpy penis with an oversized hairdo." Sai repeated, sticking his tongue out with a smile. "And you're so defensive because it's true."

"You little - " Ino cut him off with a kiss on the cheek.

"Sai-kun, I love this man. And no, he doesn't have a small penis."

"_Thank you,_" Deidara grunted as he held her again.

"So he has no penis at all?" Sai prodded. "I _knew _she was a girl. But Ino-chan, I thought you were straight..."

Ino laughed as Deidara fought to keep his hold on her and not on Sai.

Temari and Kankuro approached them then. "Deidara-kun," she began, "are we going to explain everything to Ino-chan now?"

"Hmm?" Ino asked, looking up to Deidara's visible eye. "What is there to tell?" She looked around. Sai, Naruto, Sasori, and Kankuro had gone.

Deidara heaved a heavy sigh and guided her to the bed she had used. Temari took Deidara's, folding her legs and holding her foremost knee with both hands. Deidara began, "Ai...there are some parts to this story that you never knew, un. Parts that Temari-chan played a role in."

Confused and slightly curious, Ino looked over to the Suna kunoichi for enlightenment.

Sighing, Temari began, "Shikamaru and I were never actually together. It was a ploy so that he could be with you, but you would be too scared to get too close with a third party involved. Shikamaru, with the wits he had, was able to detect your depression before it actually hit. He wanted you to be at least a little happy, so he set it up so that you were a cheat object, just so you would experience the thrills of having a man without being able to get too attached. He actually didn't want either of us; he just wanted you to be a little happier.

"Then, through me, he heard of Deidara-kun. He wanted you to be as happy as possible, and so he set you two up to meet."

"That's not possible!" Ino shouted as tears fell. "Tsunade gave my team that mission!"

"_But Shikamaru suggested it. _With how smart he was, it was easy to convince your Hokage to assign it to your team."

"Of course," Deidara interceded, "I had a role in it, too. I first saw you two years before you 'got together' with Shikamaru, un. All that time I couldn't stop thinking about you.

"Finally, when Temari-chan and her brothers were meeting with Sasori-danna, I happened to mention you, un."

"That's when the plan was created," Temari finished. "I suppose you could say you're here because Deidara-kun was selfish and lust, I was just nice, and Shikamaru cared for you."

"W-wow," Ino stuttered, her fist in front of her mouth.

"His death wasn't planned," Temari promised. "That was a freak accident. Sasori-sama took the body only because he liked Shikamaru's abilities."

"Wow," she murmured again, "I have no idea what to say."

Temari smiled. "I'll leave you two love birds alone now." She hopped off the bed and made to leave.

Her hand was on the doorknob when Ino stopped her. "Wait!"

Temari paused and looked over at her.

"_Did _you have feelings for Shikamaru?"

Temari ignored the question, opening the door and leaving, closing it behind her.

"Kami," Ino murmured after a moment. The sole reason she hadn't died of depression was that Deidara had fallen in love with her at first sight and that Shikamaru simply cared for her too much.

"Are you mad, un?" Deidara whispered.

"Mad?" Ino repeated, looking over at him. "Why would I be mad? The three of you saved my life." She paused for a moment, considering, "But you _are _a lusty, selfish bastard."

Deidara laughed, wrapping his arms around her and enveloping her in a kiss. They fell back onto the bed, with Ino on top. After a moment of kissing, Ino backed off and confessed, "I've loved you since the very first day, too...I thought you looked so _pretty..._"

Deidara laughed again. "Great, I'm pretty, un."

Smiling, Ino continued, "And as I got to know you better, I realized that you were everything I'd ever wanted. _In myself. _I've always aspired to be a nin as great and artistic as you...Someone who was able to appreciate art to its fullest and speak their mind without holding back. So I guess I've always longed for someone...Just like you."

Deidara returned the smile. "You know, I always dreamed I could be a fighter as good as you. If everything that happened to you were to happen to me, I would crumble to nothing, un. You're strong - I've always seen that. I wanna be just like you, too, un."

They kissed again and Ino laid her head on his chest, her fist close to her mouth, as always. Just underneath her ear, his heart beat diligently.

Definitely human.

BARRIER

**The real end! X3 I just couldn't bear killing them off, so I wrote this epilogue. (cue happiness) Now I don't have to cry every time I hear a song that reminds me of this :) And yes, there's gonna be a sequel! w00t!! **


End file.
